It's late morning and John Lucas already has worked several hours mowing lawns in summer temperatures in southern Brevard County.
- Former NASCAR driver Mike Wallace was attacked last week in NC
- People are posting hateful messages on Palm Bay landscaper's Facebook page
- Palm Bay's John Lucas says he is not connected to NC incident
But it's the heat his company, Lucas Lawn and Landscaping, has taken online over the past two days that is really making him sweat.
"Some people said, 'You're a piece of crap company,’ and some had more choice words," Lucas said.
Those words and comments have come full throttle on his lawn care business' Facebook page in the days since former NASCAR driver Mike Wallace and his daughter were brutally attacked after a concert in North Carolina.
The problem is, it’s a case of mistaken identity.
Some people think John Lucas is the Lucas accused of the Wallace attack. That Lucas also is affiliated with a landscaping company.
"There are a lot of Lucases and I want people to know we are the good guys out here," he said.
Wallace and his adult daughter were assaulted by three men Friday night as they walked out of a Rascal Flatts concert in Charlotte. Wallace was badly beaten and his daughter was hurt as she tried to protect her father.
Two of the suspects are affiliated with a Lucas Landscaping and are from a nearby town, hundreds of miles away from Palm Bay — but they're as close as a click on social media.
Palm Bay's Lucas is now trying to shield his reputation, his family of five and is hoping his customers will stick with him. Lucas even deactivated the company's Facebook page temporarily.
"I'd like to have my name back, my business back. I haven't beaten up anybody, and I don't plan to," Lucas said.
Lucas says he's spoken to several other landscape companies in the area and around the country who are dealing with the same issue.