A former Laguna Niguel man is facing the heat of the law after being hit with an indictment for threatening to kill an Orange County family law judge. Byrom Zuniga Sanchez, 32, was charged on Friday with terroristic taunts sent through emails and social media against the judge who had previously managed his family law case, the Justice Department revealed today.
Zuniga's threats didn't stop at the judge; he's accused of having also vowed to snuff out lawyers and law enforcement making it more than just personal. The 32-year-old, who was bagged by authorities on February 27 in San Diego, is currently cooling his heels in federal custody, ready to soon go before the bar in Los Angeles. United States Attorney Martin Estrada made it clear threats like Zuniga's are a no-go for the justice system. "These threats undermine the rule of law, are anathema in our democracy, and will not be tolerated," Estrada stated.
The FBI's Amir Ehsaei, Acting Assistant Director of the Los Angeles Field Office, echoed this sentiment, underscoring the serious nature of the threats which had judges and officials on high alert and upping their security game. "The chilling threats allegedly made by Zuniga Sanchez via e-mail and online caused profound fear for many people in the legal and law enforcement community," Ehsaei said.
According to the court files, from May to July 2023, Zuniga's electronic threats briefly stated that he was hellbent on bringing death to the judge. "I am more committed to murdering you than I am to being present as a father," one of his emails chillingly read. Zuniga's brazenness continued with a social media post in September, where he suggested that armed, he could simply storm a courthouse to carry out his threats.
Zuniga, who's believed to have been in Mexico when he issued the threats, was snagged while trying to make his way back into the U.S. Under the weight of the evidence, if the jury finds him guilty, he could be hit with up to ten years in the slammer. The prosecution of the case has been taken up by Assistant United States Attorney J’me K. Forrest of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
