A homeless man is charged with making a terrorist threat targeting an Ogden synagogue.
Weber County prosecutors charge Johnny Gallegos, 60, with making a terrorist threat, a second-degree felony, last Thursday, Jan. 8, at the Congregation Brith Sholem synagogue. He also faces three charges stemming from his subsequent arrest by Ogden police — assault by a prisoner, a third-degree felony, and possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, class B misdemeanors.
Gallegos allegedly pounded on the door of the synagogue and screamed loudly late in the morning of Jan. 8 as a worker was inside cleaning the locale, according to charging papers.
When the worker confronted the man, Gallegos “said to the employee that he was going to kill everyone in there and then made a gesture with his hands as if he simulated dropping something on the ground. At the same time that Johnny made that gesture, he shouted either ‘boom’ or ‘bomb,’” read charging papers.
When authorities subsequently located Gallegos and took him into custody, he kicked an officer, according to charging papers. The man was also found with marijuana.
Gallegos pleaded not guilty on Monday to the four charges and was ordered to be held without bail.
In a separate incident, an Ogden man, Skylar Rose, faces 15 charges, including six counts of possession of weapons of mass destruction — homemade bombs — in connection with online threats he allegedly made last month targeting the Jewish community. He has pleaded not guilty in the matter.