Florida Keys Man Threatens Workers, Calls Them ‘Illegal Immigrants': Deputies

Dean Ford, 53, was being held without bond Saturday on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery, criminal mischief and burglary.

A Florida Keys man was arrested after he called a group of workers "illegal immigrants" and threatened them with a knife, according to Monroe County deputies.

Dean Ford, 53, was being held without bond Saturday on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery, criminal mischief and burglary.

Deputies said Ford was going to a home on Ocean Way Drive in Rock Harbor at 1 p.m. Friday when he saw there were people working on the home. He told officials he confronted the workers, calling them "illegal immigrants" and demanding to "see their papers."

Ford was holding a knife which he used to cut window screens at the home to show them he was in charge, deputies said. At one point, he hit one man on the hand with the knife, according to deputies.

The victim, deputies said, was a 50-year-old man from Miami who was born in the United States. The man was reaching for his cell phone to call police when Ford slapped him with the knife, officials said.

He told police he then took the confrontation outside and spoke to Ford loudly in the hopes that people outside would hear the argument. When Ford saw there were people close by, he walked away and the victim called deputies.

Authorities found Ford at his apartment in Buttonwood Circle, where he was arrested. Ford told deputies he was "tired of all these illegal immigrants living and working in the area" and that he "was going to deal with it," authorities said.

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