MONROE COUNTY, Fla. — A 25-year-old Key West man was arrested on a felony charge Thursday after authorities said he threatened to kill another man in messages sent through Facebook Messenger.
Jail records show Ignacio Valdez is facing one count of sending written communications containing threats to kill or cause bodily injury.
The 58-year-old victim said Valdez sent online and voice messages threatning to kill him if he didn’t leave Florida and warned that he would be beaten or killed if seen in Key West, according to Adam Linhardt, a spokesperson with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Linhardt said Valdez claimed that he had access to guns, that he was affiliated with a gang, and stated that he was will to go to prison for killing the victim.
Investigators obtained an arrest warrant and Valdez was booked into jail Thursday. He was arrested near Sugarloaf Key.
A motive for the threatening messages has not been disclosed.
His arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 14, 2026.
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