Police: Man smashes 29 TVs at Lilburn Wal-Mart

Wednesday, February 10, 2010
© Copyright 2013 Gwinnett Daily Post

Photo by Michael Buckelew

LILBURN -- Talk about raging against the machine. The TV machine.

Authorities have no idea what set off 23-year-old Westley Strellis on Wednesday afternoon, but say he took his frustrations out on 29 television sets at the Lawrenceville Highway Wal-Mart.

According to reports, the Lawrenceville man strolled into the store about 12:15 p.m., selected an aluminum baseball bat from sporting goods and proceeded to smash the flat screen TVs, which were on display in the electronics department.

Lilburn police spokesman Capt. Bruce Hedley said surveillance video shows Strellis walking down the aisle and tossing the bat back and forth in his hands.

"He stands in front of the TV like he's gonna hit a home run and just starts wailing on them," Hedley said.

The TVs were reportedly valued at more than $22,000.

After the tirade, Hedley said Strellis simply laid the bat on the ground, sat down and waited for police to arrive.

"When officers got there, he just stood up and put his hands out," Hedley said. "When they arrested him, he was a little dishelveled, but calm, cooperative and very matter-of-fact. He had one thing in mind: He wanted to go to jail but wouldn't talk to us."

No one was injured in the rampage.

Hedley said Strellis, whom jail records list as unemployed, never worked at the store and that employees there didn't remember ever seeing him.

Strellis is charged with 29 counts of second-degree criminal damage to property and remains in the Gwinnett County Jail on $22,200 bond.

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