A Not-So-Magical Threat: California Man Arrested for Alleged JD Vance Death Threats Posted from Disneyland
In a jarring collision of fantasy and alleged violent intent, a 22-year-old Anaheim man was arrested Friday for making online death threats against Vice President JD Vance during the official’s family visit to Disneyland Resort last July. According to a federal criminal complaint, Marco Antonio Aguayo allegedly used Disney’s official Instagram account as his platform, posting comments that referenced planted pipe bombs and promised “bloodshed tonight” targeting “corrupt politicians” on the very day Vance was at the park. The U.S. Secret Service, tracing the posts through digital records from Meta and Google, linked the threats directly to Aguayo’s home, leading to his arrest on the serious charge of threatening the president and successors to the presidency.
During a subsequent interview at his residence, Aguayo’s defense shifted from an initial claim that his account was hacked to an admission that the posts were meant as a “joke,” allegedly intended to be deleted later. However, investigators confirmed he was logged into the threatening account on his personal devices. The arrest prompted strong statements from officials, with Attorney General Pamela Bondi calling it a “horrific reminder of the dangers public officials face” and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli vowing, “We will not tolerate criminal threats… Let this case be a warning.” Aguayo is expected to make his initial court appearance Tuesday as the case underscores the grim reality that even the most carefully curated spaces are not immune to real-world threats.
