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A Coram prankster who recorded himself dumping eggs and black beans over his head at local eateries to boost his TikTok following now faces serious criminal charges — and he’s using the moment to ask fans for money.
Kyle Vazquez, known to his 100,000+ TikTok followers as Tommy Tuffknuckles, was arrested Monday night in Centereach after a string of chaotic public pranks in Selden and Centereach — including at least three in private homes, police said.
The 21-year-old TikTok prankster has been charged with unlawful surveillance and criminal tampering, cops said.
But rather than laying low, Vazquez has launched a GoFundMe to cover his legal fees. On the page, where he has so far raised $130, he proudly posts his police mugshot — the same one released by Suffolk County Police’s Sixth Precinct in wake of his arrest. He is also now using the mugshot as his TikTok profile photo.
“I’m TommyTuffKnuckles and I got arrested for some pranks,” he writes on GoFundMe. “I need money for a lawyer so I can keep making yall laugh I would really appreciate the support!!!”
Vazquez’s pranks, many of them juvenile and uncomfortable for victims, have earned him large followings on TikTok (@tommytuffknuckles8 has 103,500 followers) and Instagram (@tommytuffknuckless counts 79,800 followers). But they’ve also triggered calls to police — particularly after incidents that occurred at small businesses and inside people’s homes.
Egg stunt outside Ralph’s
In a video posted to his TikTok account April 30, Vazquez stands outside what appears to be a Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices in Centereach and shouts: “I’m Tommy Tuffknuckles. And I’m the reason why these egg prices are so high!” He then dumps a very large container of eggs — shells and all — on his head, leaving a yolky mess splattered across the sidewalk and front door of the shop.
@tommytuffknuckles8 THANK YOU😭🙏@Kalshi Exchange ♬ original sound – tommytuffknuckles🧌
Police said the egg stunt occurred the previous evening, April 29, at 1370 Middle Country Road.
Bean stunt inside Wing Wah
Just one night later, on April 30, Vazquez allegedly entered Wing Wah, a Chinese restaurant also in Centereach, and again filmed himself — this time standing shirtless and dumping a full bucket of black beans over his head, body and the floor.
A visibly distressed worker stands behind the counter as Vazquez yells, “I just hit 25K! Bean chili! Get me to 50K and we’ll do more!”
@tommytuffknuckles8 Follow for more😭🙏😂
♬ original sound – tommytuffknuckles🧌
The footage was uploaded May 1 to his TikTok account, and police confirmed the stunt occurred at 8:45 p.m.
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Disturbing home videos
Between May 19 and May 24, Vazquez allegedly entered three private homes — two in Centereach and one in Selden — by asking to use the bathroom. Once inside, detectives said, he secretly filmed the interior and the residents without their knowledge or consent, creating what poice described as a “disturbance.”
Police did not disclose whether those incidents were also shared to social media. They don’t appear to be posted on his TikTok account.
More pranks, more discomfort
Vazquez has posted dozens of prank videos, many of which seem to follow a pattern: mildly outrageous setups that quickly annoy the workers or bystanders he targets.
In one series of videos, he tells store employees, including a Home Depot worker, that his friend is “stuck” in a bathroom stall and needs help, luring them to look under an occupied stall, where an apparent stranger is seated on the toilet, and is seemingly alarmed during a private moment. In another, he pretends to pick up medication for his “Italian father,” a likely fictional character who screams at the pharmacist over speakerphone to demand his meds.
The humor is low-effort and often grating — yet somehow effective in drawing clicks. Vazquez’s TikTok account has 5 million likes. One of his “stuck in the bathroom stall” pranks has nearly 17 million views; the eggs and beans videos combined have more than 485,000.
Arrest and charges
Cops arrested Vazquez at a friend’s home on Holiday Park Drive in Centereach. At First District Court in Central Islip on Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to the following charges:
- Three counts of first-degree dissemination of an unlawful surveillance image.
- Three counts of second-degree unlawful surveillance.
- Two counts of criminal tampering.
Vazquez was released without bail and is due back in court on June 30. Police are asking that individuals who believe they were targeted by Vazquez to call the Sixth Squad at 631.854.8652.
Top photos: Suffolk Police mugshot of Kyle Vazquez (inset), TikTok is the source of the background photos.
