05/06/2026
A New Jersey father has been arrested after allegedly harassing a neighbor during a heated argument tied to accusations of bullying between their children at a luxury apartment complex in Mount Laurel.
Authorities say 40-year-old Thomas Diiorio is facing harassment and bias intimidation charges following the confrontation with neighbor Lakisha Spruill Monday evening around 6:30 p.m., according to reports.
Court documents state Diiorio allegedly used the phrase “you people” while arguing with Spruill and later clarified he was referring to Black people, claiming he “never seems to have these problems with white people.”
Video recorded by neighbors and widely shared online shows Diiorio yelling inches from Spruill’s face in the parking lot, repeatedly shouting profanities and telling her to “get in your car” as she asked for someone to call police. The footage, reportedly filmed in Mount Laurel, quickly went viral and has been viewed more than 1.5 million times.
Police said officers responded to the apartment complex over a dispute connected to an earlier incident involving juveniles and separated the two parents. At the time, both accused each other of wrongdoing, but neither initially wanted to pursue charges.
Spruill later claimed Diiorio called her a racial slur and a “black bitch” during the confrontation. She also alleged her daughter had been bullied by Diiorio’s children, who she said recently called the girl an “ugly African.”
According to Spruill, the argument escalated after she confronted Diiorio about the issues between their daughters, leading to the alleged racially charged comments.
Diiorio has denied the accusations, writing on Facebook that the dispute “had nothing to do with the color of this woman’s skin.”
Police said detectives reviewed video evidence submitted the following day, leading to Diiorio’s arrest Wednesday. He appeared in Burlington County Superior Court on Thursday and was later released with orders to avoid contact with the victim. He is due back in court on July 15.
Mount Laurel Mayor Stephen Steglik praised investigators for acting quickly, saying hateful behavior would not be tolerated in the township.
