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Charges issued against La Mesa store owner seen fighting with media

peter carzis la mesa
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LA MESA, Calif. (KGTV) -- Charges have been issued against a La Mesa store owner arrested over an altercation with the media.

According to the City of La Mesa, charges against Peter Carzis, 76, include one count of felony vandalism and three counts of misdemeanor battery.

An additional misdemeanor charge of committing a lewd act in public was also issued for an incident that occurred on January 18.

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According to La Mesa Police, Carzis was taken into custody Tuesday morning. Monday, news crews gathered outside Peter’s Men’s Apparel, a clothing store owned by Carzis, to speak with him about reports of lewd acts occurring outside the store over the weekend.

As cameras rolled, Carzis was seen cursing before attacking a news photographer and slapping the phone out of a reporter’s hand.

Police said Carzis caused “irreparable damage to a video camera reported to be worth approximately $7,000.”

According to police, Carzis "is also the suspect in two other reported crimes, a misdemeanor battery and a misdemeanor lewd act in public" that occurred on Jan. 18 in front of his store.

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That alleged incident was captured on video, and a snapshot appeared to show a man with his hands up a woman’s shirt.

Carzis is scheduled to be arraigned on February 24.