Man Threatened ‘Bloodshed’ at Disneyland, Claimed He Planted Bombs ‘in Preparation’ for JD Vance’s Family Visit, Feds Say

A California man has been charged for making threats against JD Vance when the vice president’s family visited Disneyland last year.

Marco Antonio Aguayo allegedly made the threats — including claims he planted pipe bombs at the popular amusement park and stating “there will be bloodshed” — on Disney’s official Instagram account last summer, according to a criminal complaint viewed by PEOPLE. KTLA was first to report the news.

Aguayo, 22, made the alleged threats on July 12, the same day that Vance, 41, visited and stayed at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., according to the criminal complaint. 

At around 6:14 p.m. local time, Aguayo made several comments on posts shared by Disney, including, “Pipe bombs have been placed in preparation for J.D. Vance’s arrival,” the complaint said.

“It’s time for us to rise up and you will be a witness to it,” he allegedly wrote in a follow-up comment, per the complaint.

In a third, Aguayo added, according to the complaint, “Good luck finding all of them on time there will be bloodshed tonight and we will bathe in the blood of corrupt politicians.”

Investigators were able to trace Aguayo to the account that made the comments — which no longer exists under the same username — and just before 11 p.m. that same evening, police found and questioned him.

At first, Aguayo “denied knowledge of the posts,” claiming his Instagram account had been hacked.

He later admitted to leaving the threatening comments, claiming that they were jokes, per the criminal complaint. Aguayo also surrendered his phone and computer to authorities.

The man was later arrested on Friday, Jan. 16. He has now been charged with threats against the president and successors to the presidency, according to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison.

The Anaheim resident is expected to make his first court appearance on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

It is not immediately clear if Aguayo has legal representation to comment on his behalf.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said she is grateful Vance and his family were able to safely spend time at Disneyland. The vice president shares kids Ewan, 8, Vivek, 5, and Mirabel, 3, with his wife, Usha Vance.

“This case is a horrific reminder of the dangers public officials face from deranged criminals who would do them harm,” Bondi said. “I am grateful that my friend Vice President Vance and his family are safe, applaud the police work that led to the arrest, and will ensure my prosecutors deliver swift justice.” 

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First Assistant Attorney Bill Essayli, meanwhile, used the arrest announcement as an opportunity to issue a warning, stating, “We will not tolerate criminal threats against public officials.”

“We are grateful the Vice President and his family remained safe during their visit,” continued Essayli. “Let this case be a warning to anyone who thinks they can make anonymous online threats. We will find you and bring you to justice.”