MIAMI -- Police are investigating state Rep. Ralph Arza after he allegedly made a threatening telephone call to Rep. Gus Barreiro, who filed a formal complaint with the Florida House of Representatives Ethics Committee accusing Arza of using racist remarks about Miami-Dade County Superintendent Rudy Crew.

According to Local 10 sources, Arza left the threatening message on Barreiro's cell phone Saturday, the day The Miami Herald reported that Barreiro had filed the complaint. The message was similar to the one Barreiro claimed Arza left him earlier this year in which he used the word "n-----."

An earlier complaint submitted to the Ethics Committee by Crew was dismissed on "a technicality," a Crew spokesman told The Miami Herald, because the superintendent himself never heard the remarks. House rules require anyone who files a complaint to have "personal knowledge" of the incident.

Arza offered an apology in May on the floor of the House, but he stopped short of admitting that he used racist remarks about Crew, who is black.

"If I have ever made a statement to any one of you that you believe would be offensive to Dr. Rudy Crew or even racially insensitive, then I apologize, for it was not my intent to hurt anyone," Arza said.

The Florida Conference of Black State Legislators then got involved, calling for a full investigation of Arza at a June protest in front of the Miami-Dade County School Board Administration Building.

"Rep. Arza called Rudy Crew the N word, a racial epithet unacceptable in our community," said Sen. Tony Hill, D-Jacksonville, chairman for the group of civic, religious and political leaders. "This behavior cannot and will not be tolerated, and we are demanding that the Florida House of Representatives conduct a full and thorough investigation immediately."

Police said they have the cell phone message Arza is accused of making Saturday and are investigating the claim.

According to a report in The Miami Herald, Arza has apologized, said he had been drinking at the time and would seek counseling.