Man in Brutal Attack Scares Off Attackers by Yelling “ICE, ICE”

Carolyn Hileman - The Voice* | May 4, 2008

Deborah and Richard Poche moved back to Fat City from Florida to help rebuild after Katrina. “This is his hometown,” says Deborah. It hasn’t been easy. Deborah says, “I’m not doing so well. I’ve been sick. I’ve been battling cancer.” … He says, “They accosted me for money again and I said no and that’s when they all jumped on me.” Richard says at least six men attacked him — choking him, biting off his thumb, slashing him with a knife, severing his fingers — even biting him so hard in the arm, teeth marks remain. “I hollered police, police, they bit me on the arm here — what scared them off most — was I hollered, ‘Ice, ice.” ICE is short for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Richard says the men who attacked him are probably from outside the US, and are in New Orleans, looking for recovery work. Now, the couple feels like prisoners in their own home. “The drinking, the way they are out front, he has to bring up all his tools, we rented a storage shed, they siphoned all the gas, we can’t even keep gas in the truck,” says Deborah.

“They’re here illegally. There’s no process for prosecuting them. This is what the officer told me. They’re so disgusted cause their hands are tied,” Richard says.