Man accused of Sacramento TV station shooting may seek bond again

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — Anibal Hernandez Santana, accused by authorities of firing into a Sacramento, California, television station, sat quietly Monday as the judge summarized the charges against him.

Santana, 64, initially had a preliminary hearing set for Monday in federal court. However, a grand jury indicted him last week on four charges: two counts of possession of a firearm within a school zone and one count each of discharge of a firearm within a school zone and interference with radio station communications. That indictment negated the need for a preliminary hearing.

Santana pleaded not guilty to the accusations. A U.S. marshal removed him from the courtroom within five minutes of his entrance. His next hearing, a status conference, is set for Nov. 17.

He remained jailed Monday without bond.

“Today was just the arraignment, and it was very quick,” said attorney Mark Reichel, who represents Santana, after the hearing.

Waiving a formal reading of the indictment on Monday, Santana instead had U.S. Magistrate Judge Sean Riordan tell him the maximum sentences he faces if convicted.

The firearms charges each come with a maximum of five years’ incarceration and $250,000 fine. The interference accusation has a maximum sentence of a year and a $10,000 fine.

Reichel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Wong agreed to an extension of legal timelines. This will give Reichel the opportunity to review a plethora of reports, pictures and videos prosecutors must provide to Santana.

The attorney added that it’s possible he’d again seek bond for his client. However, he wants to see the voluminous amount of evidence federal authorities possess before asking for another hearing.

“We really wanted to be able to look at the evidence,” Reichel said.

A magistrate judge last month ruled that no plan could ensure the community’s safety and ordered Santana detained without bond, following U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services’ recommendation.

Authorities have accused Santana on Sept. 19 of firing one shot toward and three shots into ABC10. An employee was in the lobby, but no one was hurt.

Federal agents arrested him the following weekend and, in searches of his home and car, found a weekly planner with the note “Do the Next Scary Thing” under that Friday and a handwritten note that read, “For hiding Epstein & ignoring red flags. Do not support Patel, Bongino, & AG Pam Bondi. They’re next. – C.K. from above,” according to officials.

Speaking outside the courthouse after the hearing, Reichel repeated questions he’s asked about the federal government’s motivations for charging his client.

Reichel questioned why federal authorities would choose this case involving accusations of shooting into an occupied building, when many other, similar cases only reach state court.

“We have to question: Are there improper motives in bringing this to federal court?” he added.

As he did when Santana appeared in court last month for a bond hearing, Reichel intimated that his client faced federal charges because of the Donald Trump administration and a justice department headed by Pam Bondi.

Pivoting to the accusations about having a firearm in a school zone, Reichel said he doesn’t believe any school was a target.

Authorities have accused Santana of having a firearm within 1,000 feet of a high school and elementary school.

At Santana’s court hearing last month, prosecutors pointed to a visit Santana made to an elementary school days before the shooting. They said he indicated that he wanted to read to children — a red flag that alarmed staff.

Reichel argued at the time that regular staff were absent that day and that workers only reported Santana after media coverage of the ABC10 shooting.

Santana also has a state case against him over the shooting accusations. An arraignment in that case is set for Oct. 16.