A New Jersey father was arrested for allegedly harassing a neighbor over a bullying dispute involving their children during a viral confrontation inside a luxury apartment complex.
Thomas Diiorio, 40, faces charges of harassment and bias intimidation after spouting obscene phrases at Lakisha Spruill in their upscale development in Mount Laurel, NJ, around 6:30 p.m. on Monday, according to NJ.com.
Diiorio allegedly referred to Spruill and other black people as “you people,” in the argument.
“During the interaction, the defendant used the phrase ‘you people’ while talking to the victim. Mr. Diiorio clarified that he was referring to black people when he said it – because he never seems to have these problems with white people,” according to court records obtained by WPVI.
Nosey neighbors captured the father screaming close to Spruill’s face as the two stood in the middle of the parking lot
“Get the f–k out of here,” Diiorio could be heard shouting, according to the clip.
Diiorio, wearing a t-shirt, gym shorts, and socks, approached the woman as he emphatically yelled at her.
“Get in your car,” Diiorio repeatedly shouted as the woman asked for “somebody call the cops.”
The viral video, geolocated to Mount Laurel, has been viewed over 1.5 million times since it was posted early Tuesday morning.
Mount Laurel Police said it had responded to reports of a dispute over a “prior juvenile incident” inside the complex and separated the two shouting parents.
Both Diiorio and Spruill, who police did not name, accused the other of wrongdoing, but neither wanted to press criminal charges, according to the police department.
Spruill claimed Diiorio used racial slurs towards her and called her a “black bitch” before telling her to get away from the house, according to the outlet.
Another Mt.laurel NJ resident being racist! #racism #stopthehate #blacktiktok
Spruill alleged her daughter has been a target of bullying by Diiorio’s two children, claiming they called her an “ugly African” in a recent incident.
Spruill claimed that when she confronted Diiorio about the beef between their daughters, he used the term “you people.”
Diiorio denied the allegations that the argument was racially charged while responding to comments on a Facebook post of the viral video.
“Had nothing to do with the color of this woman’s skin,” he wrote, according to the outlet.
Diiorio was arrested on Wednesday after footage of the incident was sent to police.
“During follow-up investigative efforts, detectives reviewed video footage submitted to the department on May 20, 2026,” police said. “The footage showed Thomas Diiorio, 40, of Mount Laurel, confronting the female victim during the incident.”
He appeared in Burlington County Superior Court on Thursday.
He was released from custody after the hearing but was ordered not to have contact with the victim, according to court records viewed by The Post.
Diiorio is scheduled to be back in court on July 15.
Mount Laurel Mayor Stephen Steglik praised Diiorio’s arrest after the township’s previous racial incidents.
“They wasted no time in contacting the victim and making sure the man in the video was apprehended,” Steglik wrote on Facebook. “To put it simply: If you’re going to be a vile, hate filled lunatic, do it somewhere else – not in Mount Laurel!”
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