A man accused of trying to get into President-elect Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate had reportedly left lengthy letters outside homes in nearby Lake Worth Beach days before his arrest.
Zijie Li, 39, was arrested on Nov. 7 for allegedly trespassing at Trump’s home in Palm Beach. Authorities said Li has tried to breach security at Mar-a-Lago several times because he wanted to speak with Trump.
Li, who is a Chinese national from the Los Angeles area, is currently in the Palm Beach County Main Detention Center for trespassing after warning.
According to NBC affiliate WPTV, several days before, on Oct. 26, Li left letters at the homes of neighbors in Lake Worth Beach that asserted that "China is seriously infiltrating the United States," and asking "Trump's team" for help.
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A doorbell camera shows Li standing on a front porch with papers in his hands.
One woman, Doreen, who did not feel comfortable sharing her last name, said she found Li’s three-page letter in her garage. Outside of her home is a sign supporting President-elect Donald Trump.
“I was kinda surprised, but not really, because other people have mentioned it to me," she said.
Two other residents said they also got the letter. At the time, they also both had Trump signs outside their house.
A spokesperson with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Li was dropping off the letters at homes with Trump signs, but could not say how many he had visited. Authorities added that he also gave the letter to a man experiencing homelessness.
Passing out literature is not a crime, and neighbors said the experience was strange, but not criminal.
Prior to his trespassing arrest, Li was arrested in July, also for trying to breach Mar-a-Lago. He pleaded not guilty, and has not gone to trial yet.
In September, a judge found him mentally ill.
"This individual quite frankly is not the only individual who is creating discourse for the Secret Service," Former FBI agent and defense lawyer Stuart Kaplan told WPTV.
