NJ Dad Faces Bias Intimidation Charges After Heated Viral Clash With Neighbor [WATCH]

A New Jersey father was arrested after a viral confrontation at a luxury apartment complex in Mount Laurel, where police said an argument over a prior juvenile incident escalated into a dispute that led to charges of harassment and bias intimidation, as reported by The New York Post.

Thomas Diiorio, 40, was charged after allegedly confronting neighbor Lakisha Spruill around 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Mount Laurel apartment complex, according to NJ.com. The dispute reportedly involved a bullying allegation between their children.

Video of the confrontation, which was later posted to TikTok, showed Diiorio yelling at Spruill in the parking lot as neighbors recorded the exchange. The clip has been viewed more than 1.5 million times since it was posted early Tuesday.

New Jersey allowed Lakisha Spruill’s children to bully Thomas Diiorio’s white children. He defends his children and he is arrested?

Just like Shiloh Hendrix, this man needs a GiveSendGo NOW!Our people should not have to live with these animals. pic.twitter.com/L4r8RmkFBX— Mainstreet Joe (@mainst_joe) May 22, 2026

According to court records obtained by WPVI, Diiorio allegedly referred to Spruill and other black people as “you people” during the argument.

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“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,” court records stated, according to WPVI.

In the video, Diiorio can be heard shouting, “Get the f*ck out of here,” according to the clip. He also repeatedly yelled, “Get in your car,” while Spruill asked that “somebody call the cops.”

Mount Laurel police said officers responded to reports of a dispute over a “prior juvenile incident” inside the complex and separated the two parents, who were shouting at each other.

Police said Diiorio and Spruill, whom the department did not name, each accused the other of wrongdoing, but neither wanted to press criminal charges at the time, according to the department.

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Spruill later alleged that Diiorio had used racial slurs toward her and called her a “black b*tch” before telling her to get away from the house, according to the outlet.

She also claimed her daughter had been targeted by Diiorio’s two children and alleged they had called her an “ugly African” during a recent incident.

Spruill said that when she confronted Diiorio about the conflict between their daughters, he used the phrase “you people.”

Diiorio denied that the argument was racially charged while responding to comments on a Facebook post that included 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.”

“When Diiorio was asked by police what he meant by the phrase, he responded that he ‘never seems to have these problems with [White] people,’ “ https://t.co/6pnvdCa3KE pic.twitter.com/MjVTX5whlS

— The Daily Sneed™ (@Tr00peRR) May 21, 2026

Diiorio appeared in Burlington County Superior Court on Thursday. He was released from custody after the hearing but was ordered not to contact the victim, according to court records reviewed by The Post.

He is scheduled to return to court on July 15.

Mount Laurel Mayor Stephen Steglik praised the arrest in a Facebook post, citing 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.

“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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