Iranian national arrested with machete, pickax and $22,000 in Palm Beach, reports say
An Iranian national armed with a machete, pickax, knives and $22,000 was arrested Friday near the Flagler Memorial Bridge, which connects Palm Beach and West Palm Beach, Palm Beach police said.
A call of a suspicious person was made to Palm Beach police, CBS4 reported. During their investigation they found the weapons and $22,000 in U.S. cash.
The man was identified by his passport as Masoud Yareioeill Zoleh, an Iranian national who is in the country legally, said Michael Ogrodnick, the police department’s spokesman. His car was parked at Palm Beach International Airport.
Authorities have not said what his intentions were, but Ogrodnick said there was no indication of a connection to President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, which is about five miles away from the bridge. Federal law enforcement agencies were not involved in the investigation, he said.
Information about whether Zoleh has a residence wasn’t clear. Police initially told the Palm Beach Daily News that Zoleh appeared to be homeless or didn’t have a known address. A Palm Beach Daily News photographer saw the man with camping gear when he was arrested, the Daily News reported.
Zoleh was still in custody late Friday, while the investigation continued.
Miami Herald staff writer Nicholas Nehamas contributed to this report
This story was originally published January 10, 2020 at 6:05 PM.
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