A crew with Pompano Beach-based Shenandoah Construction was working in the area of Belle Terre Boulevard and Kaywood Place in Palm Coast Wednesday morning when they had to briefly halt northbound traffic to allow a truck to back up.
Miguel Angel Rodriguez, a 43-year-old resident of Universal Trail in Seminole Woods was not happy. His truck and trailer–he was pulling a mower–stopped in the northbound lane, he allegedly started to yell at the crew and saying signs should’ve been posted. (They were, according to the crew.) Soon traffic was allowed o pass again.
Rodriguez, however, parked his truck and stepped out with a machette in his hand, according to his arrest report. He allegedly held it “in the upward position” as he walked toward the crew, saying something to the effect of “I’m going to chop some bitches up.” One of the people at the scene told Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies he became so fearful that he retreated toward the woods to avoid a confrontation. Two witnesses at the scene described the incident in similar terms. One of them elected to press charges.
Within the half hour, sheriff’s deputies on Zerington Court located a Ford truck and trailer matching the description given at the incident scene, as did that of the man driving the truck. Body cam footage issued by the Sheriff’s Office shows Rodriguez speaking to someone by phone, spelling out the accusation (“They said it was an altercation this morning or whatever, and some guy called the cop said I put a machete out on him”), and asking for the person at the other end to come over.
When a deputy tells Rodriguez that he was interfering with the investigation, Rodriguez said he was pleading the Fifth, as in invoking his right not to speak or self-incriminate himself–which he has the right to do, though he does not have the right to ignore or flout a law enforcement officer’s requests or commands. As Rodriguez stayed on the phone, walking away from the deputy, the deputy took hold of Rodriguez’s arms and put him in handcuffs.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. This is embarrassing, right in front of my customer,” Rodriguez says.
“Man, we’re giving you instructions not to move around, and you’re doing it anyway,” the deputy tells him.
Rodriguez denied being involved in an argument conceded to having multiple machetes in his truck. One of them was sheathed on the dashboard, “in plain sight and clearly visible through the dashboard,” according to the Sheriff’s Office. He then said he’d been stopped by “some guys” and was upset at the lack of road signs. When one of the crew members allegedly hurled an insult at him, he got upset and got out of his truck, but without anything in his hands. He also spoke of getting into an argument with the driver of a truck who’d initially been in front of him.
The two men in the work crew that Rodriguez allegedly assailed were brought to Zerington Court and identified him. Deputies seized the machetes and arrested Rodriguez on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a third-degree felony. His wife took possession of the truck as Rodriguez was taken to the county jail. On the way, a sheriff’s deputy reported that Rodriguez banged his head several times against the rear passenger door and the vehicle partition between the deputy and the rear compartment, “causing a medium-sized knot to develop on his forehead.” The knot is visible in Rodriguez’s mugshot at the jail. His forehead is clear at the time of his arrest.
Rodriguez, who is facing a separate civil action over an unpaid credit card debt of over $10,000, posted bail on $5,000 bond and was released.
“This man threatened several workers with a machete because he was inconvenienced,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “This guy became unhinged when he got out and confronted the workers just doing their jobs. If he had waited patiently, he would not have visited the Green Roof Inn,” the sheriff’s moniker for the county jail. “Take a deep and be patient. That’s better than getting arrested because you couldn’t control your anger.”
Peaches McGee says
Here, hold my beer.
JimboXYZ says
More Alfin growth issues in play at Seminole Woods Parkway. Surprised this isn’t a more frequent problem City of Palm Coast/Flagler County wide. The last road(s) anyone wants to be on is that area where BJ’s is, at least 4 PM and later, even earlier in the AM when their work days commence. The harsh realities of a flawed Vision of 2050.
How is the Hurricane Storm debris cleanup coming along with the better waste pickup contract that we are getting ? Just seeing too many piles of debris throughout the community ? A lot of it has been Helene, with Milton debris adding to that effort.
Jim says
Alfin growth issues lead to a guy pulling a machete on some workers at a road stop? Really? Your mind is so full of crap that you’d do us all a favor and just stop posting. You are off subject and completely irrelevant to this article.
Just go watch out your barricaded window for the yard debris truck and write DeSantis to thank him for inviting all these new folks to Florida!
And if Trump wins you can look forward to Project 2025 solving all your problems!
(Off topic I know but jumbo will understand, I sent him a special message via Jewish space Laser….
blondee says
Wow this guy is a loose cannon! Scary to think there are probably others just like him on our roads.
Brian says
What does BJs traffic or hurricane clean-up have anything to do with this article?
Pig Farmer says
The accused is lucky to be unharmed. It is unwise to bring a knife (no matter how large) to a potential gun fight.
The wild west says
The City of Palm Coast doesn’t enforce bussness licences,doest require bussness insurance and has no idea who is working in the city.
If we started with this at least every loose cannon with a pickup tuck couldn’t be calling themselves bussness men and customers would have a clearer picture of who they were hiring
FlaPharmTech says
Just yet another case of testosterone in fight mode. Let’s just chill for a bit.
No Political Affiliation says
Pulling a machete on a stranger in Florida is a really stupid thing to do considering the number of firearms here. I’m glad it didn’t come to that and no one got hurt (except that douche hitting his own head in moronic rage).
Land of no turn signals says says
Just one of the three stooges.
JimboXYZ says
It compounds the fact that there are several other projects. Drive over there around 4 :30 PM to sit in gridlock on a road that wasn’t gridlock prior to Alfin growth. I was over there the other day and regret not waiting out until later, as in more like 7:00 PM or later.
JimboXYZ says
You obviously haven’t lived in gridlock traffic that overpopulation creates. And if you did, you’ve forgotten what gridlock & the human race becomes in gridlock ? Connect the dots. Here we have a low functioning lawnmower man that’s been working all day, day after day in the heat of the day in a career & business that only accumulates that for any highlight of his mental stimulation. Any delays for him getting to the next lawn service job is only going to trigger him to do what he ended up doing for impatience. It really came to a head with this one. Look at the photo, that individual doesn’t inspire good faith that he ever improves his life beyond being in the mix of anyone sitting in gridlock on SR-100 & in Biden-Harris’s America. Alfin growth is the next dot of a sandbag for this going forward. The upside, more yards to service, downside, the traffic to get there sucks (today, tomorrow and right up to Vision 2050), he’s a part of it everyday as both the cause of it & the victim because he isn’t the only one there. That will accumulate to a boiling point. Add that he has to compete for those yards & that’s the Vision of 2050, not Alfin’s brochure of it, but the reality. If you’ve ever been over there at BJ’s around 4 PM, they cleared another few acres across the Street for yet more traffic. Go to Seminole Woods Parkway (South) & what is the south end of Town Center Parkway and look at all the acreage cleared to & including Royal Palms Parkway. That’s not me being full of crap, it’s just using my eyes and seeing the world as it really is there not the sunshine & rainbows Alfin approved. I can’t imagine you being any brighter than machete/lawnmower man if you don’t see it. Cause & effect again, while it seems off topic for your pea brain, it’s all relevant to why road rage happens.
I think people should be forced to endure Miami gridlock like I did for 20 years, then you’ll understand that while Palm Coast isn’t Miami, the road infrastructure is scaled similarly. What used to be 5-15 minute drive is now going to take you 45 minutes plus round trip, that is unless you can schedule off peak appointments or random commutes to do what the reason is for being there at any time of the day.
Wow says
Lotta “unhinged” these days. Life is too short, people. Relax.
rapscallion says
this took place on belle terre by kaywood very close to my home nowhere near seminole woods
it wasn’t new construction
i believe they were working on the canals that travel under the roads and connect the three or four small lakes in back of quail hollow.
i use the term lake loosely :)