Lois Helen Roeckelein {BSO}
A 91-year-old former Margate resident was arrested after police discovered an active warrant tied to a 2025 hate crime case in which she allegedly fired a BB gun at a neighbor walking her dog.
According to a Margate Police Department arrest report, Lois Helen Roeckelein, now of Port St. Lucie, was taken into custody June 17 after Margate police discovered she had an active warrant while investigating a traffic crash, according to court records.
The charge stems from a May 4, 2025, incident in the 6800 block of Royal Palm Boulevard, where Roeckelein allegedly confronted a Hispanic neighbor who was walking her dog along a canal behind Roeckelein’s home.
According to records, Roeckelein threatened her, saying, “If you don’t get out of my property, I’m going to shoot you right now,” before allegedly firing a BB gun. The victim also claimed Roeckelein had previously made anti-immigrant comments toward her, including telling her that she would not rest until “all of you immigrants go back where you belong.”
The allegations prompted prosecutors to pursue the case as a hate crime enhancement.
Police initially responded to the incident in 2025, and Roeckelein was reportedly taken into custody under Florida’s Baker Act for a mental health evaluation. She was not arrested at the time.
Court records show prosecutors filed a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, enhanced as a hate crime in June 2025. When Roeckelein failed to appear in court, a capias warrant was issued.
The warrant remained active for nearly a year before officers encountered Roeckelein during the recent crash investigation. After confirming the warrant through state and national databases, officers arrested her and transported her to jail.
According to Broward County booking records, Roeckelein was booked into the Broward Main Jail on June 18.
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