A San Diego County college student was arrested in September for allegedly making threats against Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is also a candidate for California Governor in the 2026 election.
Danielle Lopez, a California State University San Marcos student, was arrested on Sept. 25 by campus police for allegedly making criminal threats, threats to a school/public officer/employee and threatening a public official, San Diego County Sheriff’s Office officials told CBS News Los Angeles.
Lopez was released the same day after posting bail, sheriff’s officials said.
Though SDCSO did not indicate that the alleged threats were made against Bianco, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office shared a statement that said they and the sheriff were aware of an investigation into an online threat that led to the arrest of a suspect.
CSUSM officials confirmed that a student was arrested for “an alleged threat of an individual not affiliated with the university.” They did not provide further details, however.
Related: Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco announces run for California governor
In an interview with “The Morning Answer Podcast” on Sept. 30, Bianco addressed the alleged threats. He said that he became targeted because of a video he posted on his social media accounts in reference to the shooting at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Dallas, Texas.
“It’s horrific for my family right now,” Bianco said. “Because of that video that I did, people started sharing that video … saying, ‘we need to kill this guy as soon as possible.’ Thankfully, there was an arrest made of the person that did it.”
In the video shared on his social media, he denounces Democratic politicians who he said have “vilified law enforcement, including ICE, demonized conservatives, and fueled an atmosphere of hate toward other people based on political identity.” He said that the rhetoric has “put lives at risk.”
He called on political leaders to “cool the temperature” and “put public safety ahead of politics.”
CBS News Los Angeles has reached out to Bianco for comment, but has not yet heard back.