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Wärtsilä Employee Arrested After Allegedly Bludgeoning Co-Worker To Death With Sledgehammer: Police

[Public/Screenshot/NBC 6 Miami]

[Public/Screenshot/NBC 6 Miami]

Gretchen Clayson Reporter
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A Florida man was arrested Wednesday after allegedly bludgeoning his co-worker to death with a sledgehammer, police say.

Bryan Menocal, 31, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder after police responded to an incident at Wärtsilä, a Finnish marine and energy manufacturing company with a location in Fort Lauderdale. There, officers found a deceased victim lying face-down in a pool of blood, NBC6 Miami reported, citing a report from the Hollywood Police Department. Police pronounced the victim dead on the scene, according to the outlet.

The victim, 40-year-old Ferdinand “Andy” Williams, was identified by his wife Orbrina, who told Local10 News she had no idea why someone would murder her husband of 16 years.

“He was a great husband. He was so kind-hearted,” she told the outlet. “For this to happen, I am still in disbelief. My kids are in disbelief. My 4-year-old son still doesn’t know. He just thinks daddy is sick.”


Employees said they saw Menocal with a sledgehammer after their morning meeting, according to the outlet. Menocal told the employees he killed their co-worker following an argument between the two, Local10 reported, citing police. (RELATED: Man Kills Mother With Hammer, Kills One And Injures 17 By Driving His Truck Through Crowd)

Menocal allegedly fled the scene before police arrived, but officials caught up with him in Deerfield Beach, where he was taken into custody and charged, according to NBC6. The “highly redacted” police report called Menocal “depraved” with “no regard for human life,” the outlet reported.

“Wärtsilä is very saddened that an incident with a fatality has occurred today at our facility. Our deepest condolences go to the family of the deceased worker,” a company spokesperson told NBC6.

Hollywood Police spokesman Christian Lata assured the public the gruesome attack was an isolated incident between two people who worked together and knew each other. “At this time the Hollywood Police Department does not believe that there’s any danger to public safety,” he told the outlet.