Damaury Mikula: TikToker 18, brags about wealth amid arrest for traffic violations
PASCO COUNTY, FLORIDA: A Florida TikToker who believed he was above the law was given a reality check by the Pasco County Police on October 29. After a high-speed chase and multiple traffic violations, 18-year-old Damaury Mikula was arrested by police, before being released on bond on October 29. In the words of Trooper W Kelly, "Mr. Mikula advised he wanted to do something fun for three seconds, and it cost him."
Mikula isn't the first social media influencer to face the harsh realities of the real world. Days before his arrest, OnlyFans model Jayne Rivera was slammed for a photoshoot with her dad's casket, leading her to quickly shut down her accounts. In May, Instagram's "most hated kid" Param Sharma was arrested for backseat driving his Tesla. In July, YouTuber Yoseline Hoffman was arrested for child pornography, after sharing a clip of a minor being raped.
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As with the case of Sharma, it appears Mikula believed he was immune from the law because of his immense wealth. While he was being arrested, police say he continued to brag "about the large sum of money he made." He did manage to post bond and was eventually released, but not before being slapped with three charges including one felony.
Who is Damaury Mikula?
The teen TikToker has over 4 million followers on TikTok and 628k on Instagram. He's also got an active YouTube account with around 794k subscribers. Videos from YouTube indicate Mikula is a father to a young girl named Bella, who is the subject of his 'Life as a Teenage Dad' video series. A large number of his YouTube videos seem focused on Bella, where he shows off how he takes care of the child. It is believed he had the daughter with another TikToker star named Ll_destinny, but it is unclear if the two are married.
It also appears he runs a limited clothing line called 'Kid Maury Clothing'. His Instagram handle describes him as an "entrepreneur", but beyond that, little else is known about Mikula, a native of Houston, Texas. It's unclear just how much he makes from social media, but it is believed to be around $400,000 to $450,000 per year. Unlike other influencers, Mikula is more subtle about showing off his wealth, with only one photo with a large wad of cash. He also has a large number of pics and videos of his Dodge Charger, which is said to be valued at around $60,000.
But while he doesn't flaunt off that wealth on social media, he appeared to have little issue boasting about it to the Florida Highway Patrol. The incident started after he deliberately "burned out" his car at a stop sign in front of a patrol vehicle.
Mikula leads cops on high-speed chase
After the burnout, Mikula ran a red light, leading the patrol vehicle to give chase. Despite efforts to signal him, Mukula didn't stop and continued to accelerate to around 100mph. He engaged the cops at the intersection of State Road 54 at Sunlake Boulevard, in Pasco County, and then pulled into a residential area off Ballantrae Boulevard a few miles away. Eventually, cops tracked him to his house, where he was arrested.
"Mr. Mikula advised his state of mind was that he is young, makes a lot of money, and has a fast car and he can do whatever he wants," Trooper Kelly told WFLA. However, he later admitted, "that was a foolish way of thinking and not a good way to live." He was taken to Pasco County Jail without incident and booked. His Dodge was also towed by the cops. Mikula's arrest record shows he was charged with disregard of safety to persons or property, reckless driving, and racing on a highway. Bond was set at $11,500 for the three charges, which he paid and was subsequently released on.