Thomas Chantler, 43, of Modesto, gave the excuse that he was having a “bad day” Thursday when he allegedly shattered a gas screen on a gas pump at the Chevron station on Whitmore Avenue.

The station owner called police at 9:15 a.m. and said Chantler came into the store to borrow a lighter and was denied and then went to the pump and smashed a plastic squeegee handle against the pump’s glass screen. The screen shattered, rendering the pump inoperable.  Chantler then threw the broken squeegee at the business and fled on foot near the Highway 99 on-ramp.

Video surveillance backed up the story. Chantler was booked for felony vandalism since the pump damage will cost $1,000 to fix.