Ripe mangoes are used to make sauces, chutneys, pickles, bread, and a variety of other delicious food items.
But apparently mangoes can also be a deadly weapon.
And this Florida man is facing multiple charges for what he did to his neighbor with a mango.
The first mangoes in the United States were introduced in Florida in 1883.
Today, more than 2,600 acres of mango trees are grown by farmers in the Sunshine State.
In the Florida Keys, mangoes are the center of summer festivals and cultural events.
Florida mango season begins in April and runs through September, with peak harvest occurring in June and July.
But farmers are not the only ones in Florida who grow mango trees.
Many residents also have their own mango trees on their property.
In India, where more than 18 million tonnes of mangoes are produced each year, a basket of mangoes is considered a gesture of friendship.
Mangoes are also a symbol of love in India.
But a Florida man recently used a mango as a symbol of hate on his neighbor.
Charles Oliver Lovekin, a 61-year-old who lives in North Lauderdale, has a mango tree at his residence.
A mango from his tree recently fell on the neighbor’s side of the patio and made a loud noise.
The neighbor approached Lovekin to discuss the incident because the loud noise scared him.
But that was a mistake.
Lovekin erupted into a fit of rage and began hurling insults at the neighbor.
But insults were not the only thing Lovekin hurled.
He picked up a pair of mangoes and threw them directly at his neighbor.
The first mango missed, but the second one hit the man directly in the center of his chest.
When Lovekin switched to throwing rocks, the neighbor ran inside and called the police.
Lovekin told the deputies that “I threw the mangoes at him because I thought he was gay.”
The neighbor told the deputies that Lovekin called him a “mother f*****” and accused him of being “gay.”
“I felt uncomfortable by the way he was looking at me, so I threw the mangoes and rocks at him,” Lovekin told police.
One big problem is that the neighbor is married to a woman and has multiple children with her.
Police arrested Lovekin and charged him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery causing bodily harm, committing a third-degree felony with evidence of prejudice and committing a first-degree misdemeanor with evidence of prejudice.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
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Author: rg_jh
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