Man accused of stealing booze from Fla. Keys houseboat, pulling knife on men

Woman finds stolen beer, liquor in basket of suspect's bicycle

Ted Williams is accused of stealing booze from a houseboat and then pulling a knife on two men who confronted him about the theft.

KEY WEST, Fla. – A man was arrested after he broke into a houseboat in the Florida Keys, stole a stash of alcohol and then pulled a knife on two men who tried to get the booze back, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

The theft occurred Wednesday night on a houseboat moored on Summerland Key.

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Sheriff's spokeswoman Becky Herrin said a woman who lived on the houseboat returned shortly before 10:30 p.m. to find someone had taken money, two bottles of Miller Lite beer and a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey.

The woman went outside to investigate and found a man sleeping next to a bicycle. She noticed the stolen items in the bicycle's basket and called two friends to help.

When the men arrived and confronted the man, later identified as Ted Williams, 36, an argument ensued. That's when Williams pulled out a knife and started swinging it at the men, Herrin said.

Williams rode off after the woman threatened to call police, Herrin said.

A deputy was called to investigate and found Williams climbing out of the water behind a gas station drinking a bottle of Miller Lite, Herrin said.

The beer bottle had the same expiration date as the ones that were left in the woman's refrigerator on the houseboat, and a knife was found in the canal near where Williams was spotted climbing out of the water, Herrin said.

Williams was arrested on two counts of aggravated assault, burglary and theft.