Suspect in ABC10 station shooting indicted by federal grand jury
Anibal Hernandez Santana, the man accused of shooting into the lobby of the ABC10 news station in Sacramento, has been indicted by a federal grand jury. The shooting happened on Sept. 19 and Hernandez Santana, a 64-year-old California lawyer and retired lobbyist, was arrested in connection. He bailed out of jail the next morning following his arrest for state criminal charges, but was re-arrested later that day on federal criminal charges and denied federal bail after prosecutors argued that he remained a danger to the community, was a flight risk and still had a gun. Nobody was injured in the shooting.KCRA 3 obtained the indictment against Hernandez Santana filed in federal court on Thursday. The grand jury is accusing Hernandez Santana of knowingly possessing and discharging a firearm within a school zone. Leataata Floyd Elementary School and Arthur A. Benjamin are within 1,000 feet of ABC10's station. He is also being accused by the grand jury of interference with a radio communication station. Mark Reichel, Hernandez Santana's defense attorney, released the following statement to KCRA 3 regarding the federal indictment: "We are reviewing the allegations in the grand jury indictment and still waiting for the delivery of evidence. Mr. Hernandez Santana is innocent unless and until he is found guilty at trial."Hernandez Santana faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine related to possessing and firing a gun in a school zone, if convicted. The interference with a radio communications station charge carries a maximum of one year imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000.In addition to the federal charges, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office said Hernandez Santana will face state charges related to discharging a firearm into an inhabited building and assault with a semi-automatic firearm, along with personal use of a firearm allegation.If convicted of those charges, he would face a maximum sentence of 17 years in state prison. "We believe it was politically motivated," Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho told KCRA 3 of the shooting. He added that part of that motivation was "to attack a free press, a free media."In a federal complaint, prosecutors revealed a note referencing sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and members of the Trump administration -- FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino and Attorney General Pam Bondi -- was found in the suspect's car after his initial release on bail on Saturday.According to the court documents, Sacramento police officers who executed the search warrant found a handwritten note that read, “For hiding Epstein & ignoring red flags. Do not support Patel, Bongino, & AG Pam Bondie. They’re next. – C.K. from above.” Thien Ho said he believes "C.K. from above" in the note was a reference to the slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.In an interview with KCRA 3 Reichel emphasized that he does not know if Hernandez Santana is the shooter and said he hasn't seen any evidence linking his client to the crime, but he believes investigators are scrutinizing his client's social media activity.Hernandez will appear in court again on Monday. | MORE | Lawyer for suspect charged in ABC10 shooting slams federal charges
