Lemons sour family relationship
FORT LAUDERDALE — If life doesn’t hand you lemons, don’t steal some to make lemonade and threaten the owner at gunpoint.
That’s exactly what police say Willie Brown did.
According to a Broward County judge, Brown, 60, used his nephew’s lemons to make lemonade without asking. And when the 26- year- old nephew, Anthony Horne, confronted him about it, Brown allegedly threatened him with a gun.
The incident happened Aug. 22. Horne told police his uncle slapped him across the face, pointed a gun at his face and grabbed him by the neck, said Judge John “Jay” Hurley at a court hearing Thursday, reading from a police report.
Brown allegedly told him, “I’ll blow your damn brains out,” to which Horne replied, “You’re going to kill me over some lemons?” according to Hurley.
Horne called 911, but later told detective she did not want topress criminal charges. At a court hearing Thursday, Horne recanted the part of his allegation involving the weapon.
“It’s like a big misunderstanding,” Horne told Hurley.
Horne said he concocted the story about the gun and the assault because he was angry about the lemons. “You can get in trouble for that,” Hurley told Horne.
Horne later said the only truth to his story was that he was sour about the lemons and a dispute ensued.
Brown was arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, domestic battery by strangulation, possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted Florida felon and battery, records show.
He appeared in a wheelchair during his court hearing Thursday, and was ordered held on a $ 40,000 bond. It will be up to state prosecutors to decide if the case moves forward.