A former Orange County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly threatening to kill a sitting judge who presided over his family law case, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.
Byrom Zuniga Sanchez, 32, formerly of Laguna Niguel, but whose most recent residence was in Morella, Mexico, is charged in an indictment returned Friday in Los Angeles with two counts of threats by interstate and foreign communication, according to the DOJ.
Zuniga was arrested Feb. 27 in San Diego and remains in federal custody there. His arraignment is expected to occur in the coming weeks in federal court in downtown Los Angeles.
“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, and forced some to take extra security precautions,” said Amir Ehsaei, the acting assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI and our partners take such threats extremely seriously so that judges and others who make difficult decisions every day don’t suffer needlessly for simply carrying out their duties.”
According to documents previously filed in this case, from May to July 2023, Zuniga sent multiple death threats via email to the Orange County Superior Court judge. Zuniga allegedly also threatened to kill or harm others, including other judges, lawyers and law enforcement officials.
For example, in July, Zuniga allegedly emailed the judge’s former courtroom, “I am more committed to murdering you than I am to being present as a father,” according to the DOJ.
In the same email, Zuniga allegedly also wrote, “You’re already dead. The remainder of my life will be dedicated to assassinating judges, attorneys, and a police station’s entire shift staff.”
Zuniga is the subject of multiple domestic violence protective orders, pending arrest warrants and a workplace violence order, the affidavit in the case states. He has multiple warrants in Orange County for state criminal offenses, including evading police/reckless driving, invasion of privacy, violation of a court order, and criminal threats, court papers show.
Reports show that in May 2022, Zuniga led Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies on a chase after they were called to a home where he was allegedly violating a domestic violence court order. Deputies cornered Zuniga at a business location, where after negotiations lasting several hours, he ultimately surrendered, and was arrested, according to the affidavit.
A warrant was issued for Zuniga’s arrest Sept. 8 when he failed to show in court for a domestic violence case dating back to May 4 of last year in which he violated a domestic violence court order and later led sheriff’s deputies on a chase from Mission Viejo before barricading himself in a fast food parking lot in Foothill Ranch, where he refused to get out of his car for hours, according to court records.
Zuniga’s former live-in girlfriend filed for a restraining order in April 2019, court records show. She alleged that Zuniga posted four videos to YouTube of their then-5-year-old son when he was upset with online comments accusing the mother of neglecting their son, according to the restraining order request.
In February of 2019, Zuniga was ordered to pay nearly $1,000 a month in child support, according to court records.
A family law court mediator in May of last year filed for a workplace violence restraining order against Zuniga, according to court records. The mediator was assigned to an “emergency mediation” between Zuniga and the mother of their child in July 2020, she said in the restraining order request.
The mediator said in December 2021 she was tagged in an Instagram post that began a “pattern of harassment toward me with threatening and disturbing comments on Instagram.”
She said after she blocked him on the app, her husband began receiving threats on another social media platform.
In one post captioned “You better pray!” he allegedly commented, “Don’t forget to say your prayers tonight while repenting for who you are, and the deafening corruption against innocent children that you have consciously enabled,” the mediator alleged. “You had ample warning and opportunity to correct course. Accountability isn’t a threat, it’s a guarantee to prevent you people from harming others again. Sleep tight, the demons come out to play tonight.”
Zuniga also allegedly tagged the attorney who represented his ex-spouse and Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, the mediator said.
Zuniga is also facing two counts of misdemeanor disobeying a domestic relations court order on April 20 and 21, 2022, allegedly making annoying and repeated phone calls on June 8, 2021, and reckless driving and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors, on April 17, 2022, according to court records.