A lifelike set of creepy-crawly replicas and a threatening note tucked under a desk were enough to shut down a San Antonio council field office this week and land a city aide in the Bexar County Jail. Staff in the far North Side District 9 office said they were alarmed enough to close up shop temporarily while police sorted out what was going on.
Police on Monday booked Bryan Naylor on a charge of making a terroristic threat against a public official, according to the San Antonio Express-News. The paper reports that a District 9 staffer, during a check of the office, spotted a note taped to the underside of a desk that included a photo of Naylor and the words "Die Fascist." The District 9 field office at 16500 San Pedro Ave. was briefly closed while staff evaluated their safety and called in authorities.
City Manager Says Staff Feared For Safety
City Manager Erik Walsh told council members in an email that employees were badly shaken by the discovery. Staffers "expressed fear for their personal safety, the Councilwoman, and her family" after the note turned up, San Antonio Express-News reports. Walsh wrote that the message was found during what he described as a routine equipment inventory and that it featured a photo of the alleged suspect. He also indicated the incident came after prior statements and behavior by the aide while he was working in the former District 9 office.
Role, Firing, And Office Response
City records list Naylor as a constituent services aide in District 8, and the City of San Antonio staff directory still showed him in that office earlier this month. Information from the City of San Antonio says he handled constituent requests and field work for the District 8 office. District 8 Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez has said she terminated Naylor and has publicly stressed that her office operates under a "zero tolerance" policy for violence or threats of violence.
Legal Exposure
The charge against Naylor - making a terroristic threat against a public official - falls under Texas Penal Code Sec. 22.07, which covers threats meant to instill fear or disrupt the use of a public place. Texas Statutes spell out the elements of the offense, and penalties hinge on which subsection applies. Under state sentencing rules, a third degree felony carries a possible sentence of two to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to Texas Statutes.
Context For District 9 Politics
Misty Spears captured the District 9 seat in a June runoff and is one of the few Republicans on the ten-member San Antonio City Council, a setup that can make political transitions feel a little extra tense. Her win and the shakeup in the office earlier this year are part of why staffers say they have been especially alert to anything that looks like a threat, according to city watchers. For more on how Spears came into office, see Texas Public Radio.
The case is still under investigation, and prosecutors will decide whether to pursue formal charges in court. City officials have declined to go beyond what has already been shared with council members and released through official channels.
