McHenry man threatens to ‘shoot up’ courthouse and attack judge, prosecutors say

A McHenry man threatened to “shoot up” the McHenry County courthouse and “eat” the face off the judge presiding over his child custody case, a prosecutor said in court Friday.

Jonathon T. Larson, 25, is charged with threatening injury or damage to a juror, family member or witness, a Class 2 felony, as well as intimidation and communication with a witness, the judge said at Larson’s initial court appearance Friday. An outside judge, DeKalb County‘s Philip G. Montgomery, was brought in by Zoom to preside over the hearing.

Montgomery will continue to handle the case, and Brian Towne, a special prosecutor who also appeared over Zoom, will prosecute the case. In court Friday, McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Brian Miller read threatening text messages that prosecutors allege Larson sent to the mother of his child regarding child support. Miller argued that Larson is dangerous and should be detained pretrial, which Montgomery granted.

The texts read in court by the prosecutor included the statements: “If you could stop pressuring me tho cuz I’m like 99% of the way to just saying [expletive] everything and going into the courthouse and killing everyone. I’m so dead serious I prolly should be in jail. ... My hatred for the justice system is beginning to conquer me, and if that happens, that will be a sad day. ... They shouldn’t have let me out of the psych ward.”

Authorities said that at the time he sent these texts, he owed the woman child support; she attached the messages to a motion filed in the courthouse seeking full custody of their child, and a clerk saw the messages and reported them.

Larson texted that the money he has to give her “controls” him, and “every thought I have and the pressure is gonna end my life soon.” He said there is a demon inside of him that “won’t leave me alone.”

In texts to the mother of his child, authorities allege that Larson made threats aimed specifically at Judge Robert Zalud, who is married to McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese and is presiding over the custody case. Larson allegedly called the judge vulgar names and wrote in a text: “I’m gonna find that [expletive] and burn him alive. ... Just give me five minutes in a room alone with him. You will be like, ‘I didn’t know we had that much blood inside.' ... He would be unrecognizable. I would eat his [expletive] face off.”

When Larson allegedly sent these texts, he was on pretrial release for a pending traffic accident in which he is accused of leaving the scene, and violating an order of protection filed by another family member, according to the judge and court records. Pretrial release in those two cases was revoked Friday.

In 2019, Larson was charged with aggravated battery of a police officer, criminal damage to government property, resisting officers and threatening a public official, court documents show. He was accused of threatening to kill a Woodstock police officer and blow up the Woodstock Police Department. He also threatened to kill a sergeant and the sergeant’s children, according to the indictment.

That case was dismissed in exchange for a guilty plea in a 2020 case in which he was accused of spitting in a police officer’s face and saying he was infected with COVID-19. In April 2022, he entered a plea of aggravated battery to a police office. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail, two years of probation and six months of conditional discharge, court records show. He was required to get a mental health evaluation, abstain from alcohol and drugs, submit to screenings and report to court services, according to the sentencing order and Miller.

However, prosecutors filed a petition to revoke his probation, alleging that he failed to get the evaluation within the ordered 45 days of sentencing, and he failed to follow recommended treatments. He failed to report to court services for drug and alcohol screens, and when he did, he tested positive for marijuana and alcohol on multiple occasions, according to the petition to revoke his release.

Miller detailed the current charges and Larson’s criminal history, saying Larson is “a danger to the mother of his child, Judge Zalud and everybody who works in the McHenry County courthouse.”

However, Assistant Public Defender David Giesinger argued for Larson’s release with conditions. The attorney said Larson’s charges do “not meet the level of forceable felony.” Giesinger said the threatening texts were not sent to Zalud or any one individual, and that Larson does not have a firearm, access to one and took no steps to get one. He also does not have a firearm owner’s identification card, Giesinger said, and has taken no steps toward acting on any of his threats.

“At most, this was a rant over something that happened,” Giesinger said.

He also said that on Feb. 19, Larson was taken to a mental health facility in Waukegan, from which he was transferred Thursday to the McHenry County jail. He has been given medication and has a follow-up appointment in Woodstock. He could be released to his mother’s house, where there is no access to guns, Giesinger said.

“He is working, doing his best to pay child support and support his [child],” Giesinger said, telling the judge to take the texts “in the context of someone venting.”

Montgomery, however, referred to Larson’s past violations and texts threatening violence, which he admitted he sent, showing his “hatred for the judicial system.”

“Electronic monitoring won’t work, and the court finds he would not abide by conditions,” Montgomery said. “No condition can mitigate a real and present threat.”

Larson is due in court April 1.