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Disgruntled Oklahoma hotel guest crashes pickup into lobby

By Ben Hooper
A pickup truck crashes through the lobby of an Alva, Okla., hotel. KOCO-TV video screenshot
A pickup truck crashes through the lobby of an Alva, Okla., hotel. KOCO-TV video screenshot

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ALVA, Okla., Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The owners of an Oklahoma hotel said a disgruntled guest who crashed his pickup through the lobby was upset about his bill and their Indian heritage.

Kingston and Rupal Christian said John Parsley checked into their Comfort Inn in Alva early last week and paid with cash after his debit card was declined.

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Parsley's debit card was later approved, and Parsley complained about his fears of being double-charged.

"I went to my office and wiped the transaction and got him the document saying the transaction is void, but he was not willing to listen and says, 'I want my money right now,'" Kingson Christian told KOCO-TV.

Christian said he thought the issue was settled Thursday morning, but Parsley returned in the afternoon to argue with his wife.

"He comes back in the afternoon really, really mad and angry talking with my wife, you know, 'I had this bad experience with Indian people everywhere I go,'" he said.  "My wife told him you cannot judge from your past experience."

The Christians are originally from India, but have lived in Alva for several years.

Rupal Christian said Parsley threatened her.

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"He said 'I'm going to call the cops and I'm going to run you over,'" she told KWTV.

Police soon arrived and spoke to Parsley outside.

"Parsley rolled his window down and looked at me as I was speaking to him trying to explain to him I was going to go inside to speak with the manager," Alva Police Officer Wade Suffon wrote in his report. "I observed Parsley reach up and place his vehicle in drive and accelerate rapidly, crashing into the hotel front entrance and into the lobby."

Rupal Christian and a coworker narrowly avoided being struck by the pickup truck. "I don't know how I jumped that," she said. "It's just God's hand. It's just the Angel of the Lord protected me."

Parsley was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon. The police report said Parsley told officers he drove into the building to show Rupal Christian that he wasn't bluffing.

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