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James Talarico speaks at a campaign event in San Antonio earlier this year. Credit: Michael Karlis<\/p>\nJames Talarico speaks at a campaign event in San Antonio earlier this year. Credit: Michael Karlis<\/p>\n
Authorities filed criminal charges against a Texas man whom they allege sent a pair of violent threats to state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate.<\/p>\n
Billy James McFatridge of Fort Worth is charged with making a terroristic threat against a public servant, CBS Austin reports<\/a>, citing arrest records. If found guilty of the Class A misdemeanor, he faces up to a year in prison and a $4,000 fine. <\/p>\n Investigators said McFatridge sent two messages to the Talarico campaign\u2019s email account and Instagram in early August, including a threat to slit the Texas House member\u2019s throat and drag his body through the streets.<\/p>\n After Talarico\u2019s chief of staff notified the Texas Department of Public Safety about the threats on Aug. 12, state investigators used information from Google and Meta to track the accounts back to McFatridge, according to the TV station. They interviewed him days later at his place of employment. <\/p>\n The suspect admitted sending the messages, according to records cited by CBS Austin. However, he said he \u201cjust wanted to scare\u201d\u00a0Talarico and never intended to physically arm anyone. <\/p>\n McFatridge told DPS he had access to firearms, including a pistol, a rifle and a shotgun, the station reports.<\/p>\n In 2018, McFatridge was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after Fort Worth police probed allegations that he stabbed his mother with what an affidavit called a \u201clong stick with a blade at the end of it,\u201d according to CBS Austin. Five years later, he was reportedly investigated over accusations he sent a threatening message to a former supervisor.<\/p>\n DPS requested that if McFatridge is released from jail, he should be subject to GPS monitoring, a mental health evaluation and a ban on having access to firearms, the station reports. The agency also seeks a ban on contacting Talarico and his team or going near the Texas Capitol.<\/p>\n Darryl Paulson, emeritus professor of government at the University of South Florida, told CBS Austin that threats against political figures are escalating. and have been for a while. <\/p>\n \u201cReally, the time to stop any political violence in the United States was yesterday,\u201d Paulson said. \u201cIt\u2019s not tomorrow. It was months ago, years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n Texas politics is a mess. We make it a readable mess.<\/p>\n Sign up for San Antonio Current\u2019s new \u201cTexas Politics This Week\u201d newsletter.<\/p>\n Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Apple News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>| Twitter<\/a>\u00a0| Or sign up for our\u00a0RSS Feed<\/a><\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\u2018Acts or threats of violence will not deter my commitment to public service or the values of civility, respect and integrity,\u2019 the San Antonio councilwoman said. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"Councilwoman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-3.49.37-PM.jpg\")
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Climate](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/shutterstock_2489894619.webp\")
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