Millionaire arrested after allegedly trying to start fire at winery
A wealthy founder of an Indian mental health company was arrested after he allegedly tried to set fire to a Saratoga winery, where he attacked staff before driving his Tesla off an embankment. Berri Vikram of Menlo Park, California , was placed into custody at the Garrod Farms Estate Winery & Stables on the afternoon of December 8, according to a statement by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. The 42-year-old founder of BetterLYF Wellness, an online mental health platform that provides online therapy and psychiatric services in India , was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest.
Vikram is also the Executive Director of Business Development at FieldKing, a global manufacturer of Farm Equipment. The 'WILD SCENE IN SARATOGA' as described by the Sheriff's office began to unfold when the winery staff confronted Vikram after he reportedly tried to start a fire. The mental health entrepreneur allegedly threw a wine bottle at the employees before taking off in his white Tesla.
As Vikram was fleeing, he intentionally crashed into two parked cars, sending one over an embankment and then his own, according to the statement. When officers approached him, he did not comply with several de-escalation attempts and barricaded himself in the wrecked vehicle, forcing them to use pepperball and spray. The Bay Area suspect crawled out of the wreck and was arrested, as well as taken to the hospital for an evaluation.
The incident is still under investigation, according to officials. Menlo Park is 19 miles away from Saratoga. Housing records show that his six-bedroom home is worth around $6.6million. Several speculated online that the erratic behavior sounds similar to a mental health crisis, as it remains unclear why the well-off founder allegedly rampaged.
Vikram told Rediff in an interview in 2018 that, 'In India, people like to keep these things low profile because they fear being judged,' as he discussed the reason for founding his mental health company. He added that seeing a counselor or shrink will make people ask 'What's wrong with you?' 'Stress is something that affects all of us. I thought that it was something that almost everyone struggles with at some point in life, and that's what really got me on board,' said Vikram. Pictured: Garrod Farms Stables & Winery
The founder told the outlet that he hoped Indians would become more progressive when handling mental health. Vikram went on to list tips to help deal with stress: 'Understand that things can go wrong and can be beyond your control.' His second tip was to find the courage to talk about stress and, when dealing with anxious feelings, to understand that they can lead to irrational thoughts.
'You make assumptions, and if you just keep these things to yourself, and not talk about it, you will develop more complications in your relationship,' Vikram added. 'That irrational thought is something that you really need to work on.' Vikram was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail.
