Times Staff Writer

TAMPA — A Tampa man splashed a corrosive chemical on two luxury cars, causing more than $3,000 in damage, deputies said.

When asked why he did it, he told detectives the cars reminded him of vehicles driven by people who bullied him in college, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said.

Scott Stone, 37, was arrested Wednesday and faces two counts of criminal mischief.

Stone told detectives he didn't know who owned the cars, Sheriff's Office spokesman Danny Alvarez said.

On April 23, Stone poured either brake cleaner or rust remover onto the passenger side of a 2017 Porsche Macan, causing the paint to peel and about $2,000 worth of damage, Alvarez said.

About a week later, Stone spilled a chemical onto a 2015 Mercedes 500 parked at the AMC Veterans 24 theater at 9302 Anderson Road, Alvarez said. The paint on the passenger side peeled, costing the owner $1,200 in repairs, Alvarez said.

Surveillance video showed Stone's 2012 GLK Mercedes at both incidents around the times they happened, and Stone told deputies that he damaged both cars, Alvarez said.

"We are aware of two similar cases that occurred recently, including one in the city of Tampa," Alvarez said. "Detectives are still trying to ascertain if these cases are related."

Stone was held in Hillsborough County jail in lieu of a $4,000 bond.

Contact Jonathan Capriel at 813-225-3141 or jcapriel@tampabay.com. Follow @jonathancapriel.