A 21-year-old Florida man took a plea deal after smashing a New York City taxi during an NBA Finals celebration, court records show.
Saul Vargas, 21, lives in St. Cloud, Florida.
On June 11, 2026, thousands of Knicks fans flooded the streets near Madison Square Garden, according to reports.
The Knickerbockers trailed by a record 29 points in the closing minutes of Game 4. The team erased the deficit to ignite a mass street celebration before clinching the championship two nights later.
Game hero OG Anunoby tipped the ball in with 1.2 seconds remaining, rebounding a missed 3-pointer from Finals MVP Jalen Brunson.
The dramatic victory sent the city into a frenzy, according to accounts of the celebration.
Cabbie Noueddine Bitat was driving down Seventh Avenue at 36th Street around 12:30 a.m., records show.
A mob swarmed the yellow cab and ripped the 59-year-old driver from the vehicle.
Attackers pulled the driver out by his neck and punched him in the head, Bitat said through a translator.
Members of the crowd shattered the windshield and forced open the front doors and trunks, according to accounts.
Rioters throughout the mob shouted “Knicks in five! Knicks in five!” during the attack.
Vargas was caught shirtless on video jumping on the hood and roof of the yellow cab, according to footage.
The Florida resident smashed the vehicle’s front windshield as crowds surrounded the car.
Other fans also climbed onto the destroyed vehicle, including a man wearing a keffiyeh and another holding a Palestinian flag, footage showed.
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Bitat, who is from Algeria, suffered a diabetic attack during the incident and was left with “a lot of trauma,” according to reports.
The chauffeur said he felt “lucky to be alive” following the beatdown. But the 59-year-old driver stated he was not planning on returning to the job.
“It’s just that from what happened, he couldn’t believe doing a job like this could be so risky,” Bitat said through a translator.
Video footage of the taxi destruction quickly went viral on social media, police said.
Investigators sought Vargas on a criminal mischief charge after the recording circulated online, according to authorities.
Vargas planned to head back to Florida following the game. Instead, the Florida resident turned himself in to police after learning he was a wanted man, authorities said.
On June 16, 2026, the defendant appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court for his arraignment.
On Thursday, Vargas resolved the case by accepting a plea deal for disorderly conduct, court records show.
The defendant claimed he took part in the rampage because he was celebrating his 21st birthday. Yet he admitted that turning 21 was a lame excuse for destroying the cab.
“I just want to be 21,” Vargas complained as he exited the Manhattan courtroom, according to the Daily Mail.
The 21-year-old admitted he had been acting like a kid and being stupid during the celebration.
“It was my birthday, I was trying to have fun but that’s not a good excuse,” Vargas said.
The defendant also conveyed his regret to the cabbie who fell victim to the rampage.
Vargas issued an apology directly to the driver, stating that no chauffeur should have to go through such an ordeal.
Vargas was ordered to pay $500 in restitution as part of his plea deal, court records show.
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