MODESTO, Calif. — A Modesto man is being accused of making criminal threats against the city's mayor over social media.
"It was a direct threat on my life," said Mayor Susan Zwahlen.
She said she received a message from the man early Sunday morning, after a joyous Fourth of July celebration on Saturday and before heading to church on Sunday. The man wrote that someone had told him to "kill the mayor," Zwahlen said. He did not detail why or any plans, but he did provide his phone number and address, she said.
Later on Sunday, a staffer, who monitors her official Facebook page, contacted her with a disturbing update.
"There was another more threatening message, and it specifically said that he wanted to kill me, that they wanted to know where I was located. So, I just pulled over on the side of the road and called my husband and said 'I'm not going to come home.'"
Later Sunday night, Modesto Police Department announced that they arrested Gopi Rajagopal, 45. Police said they arrested Rajagopal after assessing and evaluating the threats.
Rajagopal was charged with making criminal threats and making threats to a public official. He was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail and being held under a $50,000 bond. Zwahlen said she will be contacted if he is released from custody.
Zwahlen said there will be extra security for Tuesday's City Council meeting. She said she's grateful for the police department's swift action and that the incident is not representative of the community. She has received an outpouring of support from community members.
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