A Santa Maria man is headed toward trial on charges that he made criminal threats against the lives of Santa Maria police officers and their families.
A judge ruled Friday that prosecutors presented enough evidence against defendant Albert Varelas during that day’s preliminary hearing that he be held to answer as charged in the first amended complaint filed against him, Senior Deputy District Attorney Catherine Martin told the News-Press.
“The matter was continued for arraignment on the information on 3/16” in Santa Maria, she said.
Mr. Varelas pleaded not guilty to felony charges of making criminal threats and stalking at his initial arraignment.
Defendants are arraigned twice in criminal cases, the first time after they are arrested and they plead not guilty or guilty to the charges filed against them in the District Attorney’s complaint. This happens before a preliminary hearing.
If after a preliminary hearing defendants are held to answer on the evidence presented against them, they get a second chance to plead not guilty or guilty to the charges in the complaint, now called “the information.” If they plead not guilty, a trial date is set. If they plead guilty, a sentencing date is set.
The complaint (now the information) filed against Mr. Varelas alleges that between Jan. 24 and Feb. 17, he threatened to commit a crime against police officers “which would result in death and great bodily injury,” and that the alleged crime was made “with the specific intent that the statement be taken as a threat.”
His alleged threat against the officers and their families “was so unequivocal, unconditional, immediate and specific as to convey to the victim a gravity of purpose and an immediate prospect of execution,” the complaint said.
“It is further alleged that the said victim was reasonably in sustained fear of his/her safety and the safety of his/her immediate family,” the complaint said.
The complaint alleges that Mr. Varelas backed up his threats in that he “willfully, maliciously and repeatedly” followed and harassed Santa Maria police officers.
The complaint notes that Mr. Varelas already has a prior serious felony conviction on his record, considered his first strike under the three strikes law.
He was arrested on Feb. 18 after the alleged threat came to light the night before, when Santa Maria police received information regarding police officers and their families being threatened on social media posts, Sgt. Daniel Rios said in a police department news brief posted online.
Officers initiated an investigation, and Mr. Varelas was identified as a suspect, Sgt. Rios said. Mr. Varelas’ social media account was also located.
During the initial police investigation, several more social media posts allegedly were made by Mr. Varelas and observed by officers in real time involving further threats against Santa Maria police officers and family members, Sgt. Rios said.
Mr. Varelas’ alleged threats referenced previous police contact and current threats to “kill” officers and family members, Sgt. Rios said.
Further investigation confirmed that Mr. Varelas was allegedly targeting and stalking officers’ homes in the Santa Maria area, Sgt. Rios said.
Detectives tracked him down and arrested him without incident. He remains in custody on $200,000 bail.
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