OKEECHOBEE — On Tuesday, Oct. 21, Jose Juarez, 41, was arrested and charged with threatening to kill or cause bodily injury to a law enforcement officer or their family and trespassing on property other than a structure or conveyance.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 21, Deputy Fairtrace of OCSO responded to the Flamingo Motel, 4101 US 441 S., in regards to trespassing. The motel manager advised that a male subject had left beer bottles all over a room and urinated on the bed. He further advised that he had asked the man to leave, but the man just went to the motel lobby and laid down on the couch.

Deputy Fairtrace made contact with the male, identified as Jose Juarez. According to the arrest affidavit, Juarez appeared to be visibly intoxicated when he explained that he was visiting from Mexico and planned on returning the following day. The deputy informed Juarez that he was being trespassed and instructed him to gather his things and leave the area.

Juarez refused to leave and was then placed under arrest, at which time he requested he be taken to Raulerson Hospital. Okeechobee County Fire Rescue transported Juarez to the hospital where Deputy Zeigler remained with him while he received treatment. The affidavit reports that as Deputy Zeigler attempted to place handcuffs on Juarez, Juarez told the deputy, “My family will kill you. You know they’re Indians and Mafia.”

Jose Juarez was charged with threatening to kill or cause bodily injury to a law enforcement officer or their family in addition to the charge of trespassing at the motel.

Bond was set at $11,000.