A Fresno man is accused of attempting to break into Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz’s home while armed with a knife in the early morning hours of May 17, authorities said.
Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Larry Orduna Torrez, 56, after he allegedly appeared at Janz’s Old Fig Garden-area home around 3:30 a.m.
Inside the incident: Torrez reportedly rang the doorbell while holding a knife and wearing gloves, then entered the backyard and banged on the back door before deputies apprehended him, according to Fresno County Senior Deputy District Attorney Victor Lai.
- Torrez was arraigned Wednesday in Fresno Superior Court on charges of attempted first-degree burglary and trespassing.
- He pleaded not guilty through his attorney, Micaela Cisneros-Nuñez.
- Lai said Torrez is on parole for a Madera County case involving a felon in possession of tear gas, and called his criminal background a cause for “heightened concern.”
- Court records show Torrez has 21 felony and misdemeanor convictions since 1988, including elder abuse, sexual assault and several DUIs.
- Records also indicate Torrez is a registered sex offender from a 1995 case.
- Judge Geoffrey Wilson set bail at $30,000, granting Cisneros-Nuñez’s request over the objection of prosecutor Lai, who cited Torrez’s criminal history as a grave concern.
- Wilson also issued a criminal protective order for Janz and his family.
What they’re saying: Following the arraignment hearing, Janz told reporters that he believes the incident was related to Torrez’s unsuccessful attempts to file restraining orders in recent months against Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto and a probation officer, both of which were denied. Janz’s office represented the city in one of the cases.
- “That is why we believe he came to my house this weekend, in the middle of the night. He was angry about the outcomes of those cases. In my opinion, it wasn’t a random act,” Janz said, calling the incident “really disturbing” for his family.
- Janz said he armed himself with a firearm but did not point it at Torrez. He praised deputies for their quick response but did not comment on any additional security measures.
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