According to a report in The Enterprise, 18-year-old Brockton, Massachusetts resident Alexander Torres was arrested on Christmas after he allegedly pulled a small pocket knife on his father. The reason behind the act of violence? Torres discovered that he didn’t receive an Apple iPhone as a Christmas gift. According to Brockton Police Lt. Bruce Zeidman, Torres was fighting with multiple family members when the authorities arrived. Fortunately, the father wasn’t injured during the scuffle. However, Torres’s 24-year-old stepbrother had to be transported to a nearby medical center to be treated for unspecified injuries.
After the police were able to get the situation under control, Torres was arrested and charged with “assault and battery with a dangerous weapon” as well as “assault and battery and malicious damage to a motor vehicle.” the police didn’t specify if Torres had received another brand of smartphone for Christmas, only that he did not receive the model that he originally wanted as a gift.
There also wasn’t any indication if the iPhone was purchased for Torres, but simply hadn’t arrived due to shipping delays. Both UPS and Fedex are currently hustling to deliver tons of late Christmas gifts due to the last minute holiday rush, overnight shipping options on online shopping sites and inclement weather around the country.
According to NBC News, both companies have issued apologies about the deliver delays. Consumers have been hammering both companies on social media for the lack of timeliness in delivering holiday gifts. The shortened shopping season, six days shorter than last year, could have also been a contributing factor to the heavy volume of shipped gifts this year.