According to the news crews over at Channel 10, a reporting team was filming in the street outside of a private residence Tuesday night when a man -- since identified as 33-year-old Louis Dominic Paolino III -- came out of the house wielding a knife. He began slicing electric cords, smashing lightbulbs, and breaking equipment, and said a to cameraman, "Stop filming me or I'll slit your throat."
The cameraman, Shane Walker, responded, "Are you threatening me?"
Paolino said, "I'm promising you. I will rip that thing off your shoulder so quick and beat you down with it."
The incident was caught on video.
According to a police report, the reporting crew was doing a report on unpaid property taxes at 2626 Delmar Place because the home had $100,000 in unpaid tax bills. Paolino came out of the house and unplugged one of the camera crew's lamps and took it inside before returning outside to ruin equipment and threaten the newsmen.
Local 10 reports that a SWAT team came to the scene, but when Paolino refused to come out of the home, the police left. Paolino was allowed to spend the night at home and turn himself in the next day. He was charged with aggravated assault, criminal mischief and grand theft.
The gated home is located on the Intracoastal Waterway and the lot is surrounded by water on two sides. It is appraised at $5.3 million and is owned by Paolino's father, Louis Paolino, Jr. He was once the CEO of Mace Security, which makes mace spray and security cameras and ventured into the car-wash industry. Paolino Jr. was fired for misconduct in 2008 but apparently won $4.1 million in arbitration for wrongful termination.
Paolino Jr. previously worked for Eastern Environmental Services, and was sued by Waste Management for fraudulent "pump and dump" scheme that prompted Waste Management to buy Eastern at an inflated price. Paolino countersued. At least one website referred to Paolino Jr. as "The Garbage King of New Jersey."
Paolino Jr. also claimed to be a victim in a Sarasota Ponzi scheme; he said he lost a $5.8 million investment. According to his LinkedIn profile, he is now a private investor.
Louis Paolino III is listed in Florida records as "eligible for exam" to be a licensed general contractor. Court records indicated he faced charges in 2008 for DUI with serious bodily injury in Broward County. In Miami-Dade in 2007, he was arrested for battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest , though adjudication was withheld, and he was once charged for an civil infraction related to a manatee in a speed zone, but that charge was dropped.
Local 10 reports that the tax bill was paid after Tuesday's incident.
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