A Palm Coast man was arrested after grabbing a machete and threatening stormwater workers along Belle Terre Boulevard, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Miguel Rodriguez, 43, was arrested Wednesday and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.
While being taken to jail, Rodriguez began banging his head several times on the passenger door and bulkhead at the rear of the police vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office. Rodriguez was taken to AdventHealth, where he refused medical treatment because of a small cut, the sheriff’s office said.
Rodriguez was then taken to jail and released Thursday after posting $5,000 bail.
The incident occurred Wednesday as employees of a stormwater inspection and maintenance company worked near the intersection of Belle Terre Boulevard and Kaywood Place in Palm Coast.
The workers said a man, later identified as Rodriguez, was upset because they were temporarily blocking the northbound lane of Belle Terre Boulevard while one of their vehicles was backing up without signs in place. Officers noticed several signs along the roadway with information about workers.
The workers told officers that Rodriguez stopped his pickup and then got out. He walked toward them while holding up a machete and yelled, “I’m going to chop some (expletive) up,” the sheriff’s office said.
One of the workers said he feared for his life and ran into a forest. The workers said Rodriguez fled in his truck after he saw traffic starting to back up.
Officers found Rodriguez about three miles away on Zerington Court. Rodriguez admitted to having multiple machetes in his pickup truck, according to a charging affidavit. Officers also observed a machete in a sheath on the vehicle’s dashboard. When asked if he normally kept a machete on the dashboard, Rodriguez said he did, but it was usually covered with hats, the affidavit said.
Rodriguez told officers he was stopped by “some guys,” and he was angry because he said there were no signs. He said one of the workers cursed at him and he became angry and parked his truck, according to a charging affidavit. He said he got out of his truck and started arguing with them. Rodriguez denied having anything in his hands when he got out of the truck, the affidavit said.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said if Rodriguez had kept his temper in check, he would have avoided a trip to jail.
“This man threatened several workers with a machete because he was inconvenienced,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “This man became unhinged when he got out and confronted the workers who were just doing their job. If he had waited patiently, he would not have visited the Green Roof Inn.
This article originally appeared in The Daytona Beach News-Journal: A Florida man is accused of threatening employees with a machete, report says
