Mexican day laborers target of rage in Staten Island phony 911 call
BY Clare Trapasso and Wil Cruz
DAILY NEWS WRITERS

Sunday, March 22nd 2009, 12:52 AM

An unemployed construction worker frustrated with trying to find work was arrested Saturday on Staten Island for saying he "killed two Mexicans," police said.

Michael Franklin called 911 five times Thursday morning after a contractor rejected him in favor of three Hispanic day laborers.

The 44-year-old Staten Island man boasted that he just "killed two Mexicans" and "threw them into the Great Kills Harbor."

"I'm gonna be riding around all day looking to kill Mexicans," he threatened in his last call.

"It all came back negative," said Inspector Michael Osgood, commanding officer of the hate crime unit, of the phony calls.

Franklin, who is black, was arrested Saturday near his Fox Hills home. He was charged with five counts of reckless endangerment as a hate crime, making a false police report and obstruction of justice.

Franklin snapped that day after he and three Hispanic day laborers hopped onto a pickup truck at Vanderbilt Ave. and Targee St. for work, Osgood said. The contractor told Franklin he didn't need his services.

The Hispanic workers taunted the dejected Franklin and called him a "Negro" in Spanish, Osgood said. Adding salt to the wound, Franklin called 311 looking for work - only to be turned down again.

At 7:40 a.m., he made the first 911 call, Osgood said. "This ain't right. I'm an American citizen," Franklin told cops, according to Osgood. "The Mexicans ... can work. I don't get work."

Osgood said Franklin was remorseful after being arrested.

wcruz@nydailynews.com



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