Man used bad judgment in threatening SDSU, mom says
Union-Tribune 4/20/07
Cristobal Fernando Gonzalez, 32, of Bonita was arrested Wednesday night in Ocean Beach after the threat was determined to be a hoax.
“I really would like to apologize,” said his mother, Diana Gomez, a Peace Corps recruiter at UCSD. “We are not a family into any kind of destruction or war. . . . He was all excited about creating a page that was going to reach a lot of people. I think he just wanted to market his page. That was very bad judgment.”
Gomez made the remarks after a federal court hearing in which Gonzalez pleaded not guilty to one felony count of making a threatening communication via the Internet. She said her son would never carry out a threat to kill 50 students and that he has no affiliation with SDSU.
According to the criminal complaint filed with the court, Gonzalez admitted posting this threat on his Web site, which invites users to make confessions:
“Hungry for sheep . . . I'm sick and tired of this world. People are stupid and pathetic sheep. Jesus said you were all sheep. I am the wolf. I am hungry! With my colt I'll ride to school on Thursday morning and save 50 of your pathetic souls . . . like my brethen (sic) did yesterday! MOCK (sic) MY WORDS! You will know the sign for it will be written on the wall with blood! I am the son of man . . . I will have my vengence (sic). Warning to all SDSU students!”
Campus police contacted FBI agents after learning about the threat Tuesday at 10:55 p.m. Agents tracked the Web site to Gonzalez and a San Diego-based Web design company, Zimba Designs.
FBI agent William C. McNamara phoned Gonzalez on Wednesday morning. Gonzalez returned the call within five minutes and asked if McNamara was calling about “the message about the gun,” according to the complaint. “At that time, Gonzalez stated that he was the one that posted the message,” it said.
Gonzalez told McNamara in a subsequent interview that he was in a Craigslist chat room Tuesday night discussing Monday's shootings at Virginia Tech. He said he decided to post the threatening message, then tell those in the Craigslist chat room about it, in an effort to generate traffic for his own Web site.
In court yesterday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Skerlos noted that the threatened violence was supposedly going to take place on the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing and the Waco shootings and fire, and one day after the Columbine High School massacre anniversary.
“Law enforcement had to make tremendous efforts to resolve these matters very quickly,” Skerlos said. The prosecutor said Gonzalez is not considered dangerous but requested a $50,000 bond, citing the serious nature of the crime. The defense asked for a $20,000 bond.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara L. Major noted Gonzalez's cooperation with investigators and his lifelong ties to the community and set bond at $30,000. But she voiced serious concerns about the defendant's alleged actions.
“I can't emphasize to you enough what a bad choice it was to post that type of threat where students and parents of SDSU can read it . . . especially considering the circumstances at Virginia Tech,” Major said, adding that she was disturbed by the “decision-making process that shows to me very bad judgment and choices.”
Gonzalez faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
The threat was troubling to many SDSU students. The university alerted students, faculty and staff members through e-mail, a recorded hotline and the SDSU Web site. Classes and other campus activities continued as scheduled.