FL Man Damaged $300K Rabbit Sculpture In Vandalism Spree: Police

WILTON MANORS, FL — A Florida man is facing multiple charges after authorities said he recently admitted to numerous acts of vandalism, including driving his car into and damaging a rabbit sculpture worth $300,000.

Derek Modrok, previously of Fort Lauderdale, is charged with three counts of criminal mischief after police said he intentionally drove his car into "Thunderbunny," a rabbit sculpture located at Justin Flippen Park in Wilton Manors.

According to police, officers quickly located Modrok after he hit the statue on May 21. After police apprehended him, authorities said Modrok admitted to vandalizing multiple other items and locations in the area, including a sign at Justin Flippen Park.

According to police, Modrok said he committed the acts because he believed former Wilton Manors Mayor Justin Flippen was responsible for "the birds we hear."

According to a spokesperson for "Thunderbunny" artist Hunt Slonem, the 14-foot-tall statue was made of 6,500 pieces of blue glass and worth an estimated $300,000. The piece was the second to fall victim to a violent act, the spokesperson said — Slonmen also lost an 80-foot mural during the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center in New York City.

According to an ARTNews report, the sculpture was on loan from New River Fine Art in Fort Lauderdale. The statue was supposed to travel to a botanical garden next, but those plans were delayed.

"Really pretty strange that someone would want to do this," Slonem told NBC Miami. "It's just a lot of effort that is tragically wasted, it can probably be repaired to some degree, but it's a metal base and will never be the same."