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South Florida man accused of threatening to kill Rep. Jose Felix Diaz

Posted at 12:51 PM, Jun 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-27 12:51:18-04

A Miami Gardens man was arrested after police say he threatened to kill Miami state Rep. Jose Felix Diaz on Facebook.

Steve St. Felix, 33, was arrested Monday on a charge of written threats to kill or do bodily injury, Miami-Dade Police officials said.

Officials said Diaz, a Republican who represents District 116, notified police after he was tagged in a threatening Facebook post by St. Felix.

"I'll kill your ass and you better not show up to the next rec meeting," the post read, according to an arrest report.
 
Diaz said that after the shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise earlier this month at a GOP baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, he was in fear for his life, the report said.

St. Felix was later arrested at his home. After his arrest, St. Felix admitted he made the threat and said he "is fed up with the Republican party," the arrest report said.

He also said he was apologetic for making the post and did not mean to harm Diaz, the report said. St. Felix added that he wasn't on his medication when he made the post, according to the report.
 
St. Felix appeared in bond court Tuesday, where prosecutors said he was already out on bond for threatening another public servant and burglary. He was ordered held on $500,000 bond and told to have no contact with Diaz.

During the court appearance, St. Felix's attorney said he has a mental health issue.

Diaz announced last month that he would be running in the special election to fill the state Senate seat of Frank Artiles, who resigned in April after he used a racial slur and vulgar language in a conversation with two African-American colleagues

Story from our news partner NBCMiami