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Machete-wielding man demands job at Florida seafood restaurant

Posted at 1:39 PM, Sep 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-30 11:42:18-04

A homeless man was arrested for swinging a machete outside of a restaurant in Fort Myers, Florida, the Lee County Sheriff's Office said.

It happened on Wednesday outside of Skip One Seafood.

The owner of the restaurant told deputies that 32-year-old Lester Burdick came into the restaurant last week asking for a job and food but was asked to leave. On Thursday, Burdick went back to the restaurant and when he was asked to leave he retrieved a machete from his bag, deputies said.

The owner then locked the doors to the restaurant due to Burdick swinging the machete and calling him to come out, deputies said.

Due to Burdick being deaf, there were no audible threats but deputies say he wrote a note for the owner reading, "This is War."

Burdick was arrested and transported to the Lee County Jail Center.