A 74-year-old man ranting about a broken phone drove his car through the glass storefront of a Verizon Wireless store in North Carolina, authorities said Friday, stunning shoppers during the dinner hour at an upscale mall.
Charles Michael Hager was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and damaging property after he drove into the store at a busy shopping center in Raleigh Thursday night, according to a police statement, per the AP.
A witness told a 911 operator that he saw Hager standing outside the store located between two popular restaurants, demanding that it reopen to help him with his broken phone.
"He was demanding to get his phone fixed," the unidentified caller said, later adding:
"He said: 'My damn phone's not working. I need help. Open this damn door."
A police news release said Hager first kicked the door, shattering glass, then drove his car through the storefront. Six employees were in the store, but no one was injured. The caller said a crowd of bewildered onlookers gathered around as the man got out of his car wearing a gray collared shirt and gray slacks and continued to yell.
The scene unfolded at North Hills Mall, an outdoor shopping center surrounded by pricey homes and several high-rise office buildings north of downtown.
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