Cranston Sen. Josh Miller admits to keying SUV in shopping center parking lot

CRANSTON, R.I. (WLNE) — Sen. Joshua Miller, representing District 28 in Cranston, was charged with vandalism and malicious injury to property Thursday evening after allegedly keying an SUV.

Police were dispatched to the Garden City Center shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday when a vehicle owner and passenger told them their car had been vandalized.

Body-worn camera footage from officers on the scene shows two men telling officers they went inside the shopping plaza and when they returned to their SUV, they said they heard a loud scratching noise.

Miller told police, “As soon as I opened up my door, he started saying ‘Hey, Miller, what are you going to do?’ He already started on me as soon as I opened my door.”

Miller also told police he felt threatened by the owner of the vehicle next to him.

“I thought he was one of the gun-nuts that stalked me before,” Miller said.

Police had the two people drive back to the shopping center to look at Miller to identify if he was the man who reportedly keyed the SUV. “Definitely him — 100% him,” the victim told police.

Miller then admitted he damaged the vehicle because the owner yelled at him and “dared” him to do it.

One shopper at Garden City expressed their opinion on the public official’s actions with ABC 6 News, saying; “I believe as a public representative you represent the people and that is not by doing something that may be breaking the law against them.”

Miller was arraigned by a Justice of the Peace and released on a $1,000 bail. His next scheduled court date is July 18 for re-arraignment in Kent County District Court.

ABC 6 reached out to Miller’s lawyer for comment, but was told, “There will be no comment in his matter until court proceedings are concluded.”