RELIGION

Vegas man accused of video post threatening terror attack

Associated Press
Published | Updated

This undated booking photo provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department shows Bryce Matthew Cuellar of Las Vegas. He is being held following his indictment on conspiracy and terrorism threat charges after police and prosecutors say he posed in battlefield gear with assault weapons and declared for an internet video audience that he intended to shoot Satanists and homosexuals. (Clark County Detention Center/Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department via AP) (The Associated Press)

This undated booking photo provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department shows Bryce Matthew Cuellar of Las Vegas. He is being held following his indictment on conspiracy and terrorism threat charges after police and prosecutors say he posed in battlefield gear with assault weapons and declared for an internet video audience that he intended to shoot Satanists and homosexuals. (Clark County Detention Center/Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department via AP) (The Associated Press)

A 24-year-old Las Vegas man who police say posed in battlefield gear and assault weapons for an internet video saying he intended to shoot "Satanists" and "homosexuals" is due to face a judge this week on terror threat and conspiracy charges.

Bryce Matthew Cuellar's court-appointed defense attorney, Marissa Pensabene, didn't immediately respond Tuesday to messages ahead of his scheduled arraignment and plea Thursday on an indictment filed Aug. 24.

It also charges Cuellar with attempting to have another person delete the 15-minute YouTube video.

Cuellar remains jailed on $150,000 bail following his arrest July 1. He could face a minimum of two years and up to 20 years in state prison if he's convicted of the terror threats charge.

Google alerted authorities that it took emergency action to take down a July 1 YouTube post in which a man identified as Cuellar wore a military-style flak vest and night vision goggles and displayed a sniper rifle and an AR-15 assault-style weapon, police said in an arrest report.

The internet search company turned the video over to police, who traced it to Cuellar.

In it, he is described as clearly intoxicated and slurring his words as he says he believes people are trying to take away his First and Second amendment rights to free speech and weapon possession, and is "tired of America and will begin killing."

Police said Cuellar described himself as a Christian warrior and specified that he wanted to kill homosexuals, gays, lesbians and Satanists.

About an hour after the video was posted, Cuellar punched his wife, Zenaida Mendez, according to the police report.

He was arrested a short time later, and police said the weapons seen in the video were confiscated.

Cuellar pleaded no contest July 6 to misdemeanor domestic violence, but the felony case was delayed while Cuellar was evaluated by doctors who found him fit for trial, prosecutor Michael Dickerson said.

Cuellar admitted to detectives that he produced the video, said he was angry and drunk, and said he is not a murderer, according to the police report.

Records show that Mendez, 25, pleaded guilty Aug. 10 to an unrelated felony theft charge, and she is being held at the Clark County jail pending sentencing Dec. 6. Her attorney, Michael Sanft, said Tuesday he had no immediate information about the case.