Mount Laurel, New Jersey man charged after viral video shows heated confrontation with neighbor

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. (WPVI) -- A New Jersey man is facing criminal charges after a viral video showed him yelling at a Black woman in their neighborhood, police said.

The video, which has garnered more than 1 million views on TikTok, captures a man identified by police as Thomas Diiorio, 40, shouting at the woman Monday evening in the 3000 block of Saxony Drive.

"Get the f*** out of here! Go! Get in your car!" the man is heard yelling in the footage.

Mount Laurel police said officers responded to the scene on Saxony Drive around 6:30 p.m. and spoke with both parties. At the time, authorities said neither person wanted to pursue criminal charges.

However, during a follow-up investigation, police reviewed video of the encounter and subsequently charged Diiorio with harassment and bias intimidation.

According to court documents, Diiorio made statements during the altercation that led to the charges.

"During the interaction, the defendant used the phrase 'you people' while talking to the victim. Mr. Diiorio clarified that he was referring to Black people when he said it - because he never seems to have these problems with white people," court records state.

Diiorio made his first court appearance on Thursday and was released from custody. A judge ordered that he have no contact with the victim. His next court appearance is scheduled for July.

The incident comes amid prior concerns about similar cases in the community.

In 2021, an unrelated incident in a nearby Mount Laurel neighborhood also drew attention after video showed a man, Edward Matthews, engaged in race-based harassment.

He was later charged and sentenced to eight years in prison.

Last year, the state attorney general's office found that the Mount Laurel Police Department had failed to properly address harassment of Black residents.

In a statement, Mount Laurel Mayor Stephen Steglik praised police for their response to this week's incident.

"They wasted no time in contacting the victim and making sure the man in the video was apprehended," Steglik said.

Residents said the video was troubling.

"I think we're living in a time where people need to get themselves together. People like that need to be locked up," said Michael Diggs of Burlington.

Attempts to reach Diiorio for comment were unsuccessful. A woman at his listed address declined to comment.