Man Convicted Of Hate Crime In Racist Vandalism Incident

Daytona Beach, FL - It took a jury only 30 minutes to return a guilty verdict for a man who littered a New Smyrna Beach family’s driveway with nails after spray painting racial slurs on their vehicles. A press release from the State Attorney’s Office says 34-year-old Kyle Christiansen could now face up to 30 years in prison on two counts of criminal mischief with hate crime enhancements, both second-degree felonies. The charges in question come from a July 2020 incident where Christiansen spray painted anti-Asian racial slurs and dropped nails in the driveway of a New Smyrna Beach family, which caused over $5,000 in damages, according to prosecutors. Evidence presented at the trial was enough to indicate that Christiansen’s motives were because of the family’s race and heritage. At the moment, Christiansen remains in the custody of the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, where he will remain until his sentencing hearing scheduled for July 13. "Bigotry exists in our communities," said State Attorney R.J. Larizza. "It is important to shine a light on it when we can so that folks can see its ugly face."