Granddad meets with man who threatened his granddaughter

WELLINGTON – A Wellington grandfather met Friday with the man who threatened his 15-year-old granddaughter and her friends in video that went viral earlier this week. He said the meeting is only the first step in making amends.

Tony Nelson appeared in the viral video confronting Lee Jeffers, 60, for threatening to have his granddaughter arrested. The two met on Friday after Jeffers reached asked to meet and apologize. Nelson said he doesn’t just want an apology, he wants Jeffers to participate in community events and outreach.

“He is aware that I have not, by any sorts of the imagination, forgiven him or accepted his behaviors,” Nelson told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Friday night. “I expect him to have the courage to apologize to the community without justifying his actions.”

The video taken on June 14, shows Jeffers confronting Breonna NelsonHicks, 15, and two of her friends. “You don’t belong in this development,” Jeffers said yelled. He then went on to question where the girls’ lived, asking for their names. When they didn’t answer, he proceeded to threaten to have them arrested.

The video ends with Hicks-Nelson going inside the house to get her grandfather and Nelson confronting Jeffers.

Jeffers has been put on administrative leave, DHS said.

“We are aware of the video circulating of a USCIS employee and the individual is on administrative leave,” Joseph Edlow, deputy director for policy at

USCIS, said in a written statement Friday. “I also want to assure you that the position held by this individual is administrative in nature. He was not responsible for adjudicating cases for immigration benefits or status.”

Nelson said the meeting on Friday, which consisted of Jeffers, Nelson, the mayor of Wellington and two pastors from Nelson’s church, was difficult at first but is a step in the right direction. Nelson said they came to some agreements which will include Jeffers giving back to the community through internship programs and other community outreach.

“I did tell him that I was not going to be quiet moving forward,” Nelson said. “I am going to do everything I can to rectify our community. We can’t fix the whole country but we can make Wellington an example.” Nelson said he received a phone call Friday from representatives at Homeland Security informing him that they were looking into the incident, taking correctional actions and asked if there was anything they could do to help them.

“I was not expecting that,” Nelson said.

Nelson is planning to meet again with Mayor Anne Gerwig on Monday to plan for a round-table discussion with Jeffers and other community members sometime next week. He said he fully expects Jeffers to help give back and improve the lives of disadvantaged families in Wellington.

“We are moving in the right direction,” Nelson said. “But still have a long way to go.”

Contact information for Jeffers was not available Friday.