District 9 Councilwoman Misty Spears is one of only two Republican members of City Council. Credit: Facebook / Misty Spears

San Antonio police arrested a staffer for District 8 Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez on Monday over accusations he threatened conservative District 9 Councilwoman Misty Spears, media reports show.

Bryan Naylor, who was fired by Meza Gonzalez’s office on Monday, is charged with making a terroristic threat, a third-degree felony. Naylor faces up to 10 years in state prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.

Before joining Meza Gonzalez’s office, Naylor was employed by District 9 Councilman John Courage, who left in June due to term limits.

Last week, Spears’ staff found a note under a desk with a picture of Naylor that included the message “Die Fascist,” according to an email from City Manager Erik Walsh obtained by KSAT.

An arrest affidavit obtained by the TV station also noted that Courage’s old staff left the District 9 office in disarray and left with some of its equipment. Spears’ staff also found damage to the office’s walls when she moved in, the document states.

Naylor told police he wrote the note and also admitted to leaving lifelike replicas of rats, snakes and cockroaches around the office for Spears’ staff to find, according to Walsh’s email, which was circulated to city staff.

Courage was a Democrat serving in a red-leaning district.

Spears, one of only two Republicans serving on the current council, comfortably defeated progressive candidate Angi Aramburu in the race for the seat left open by Courage’s departure.

Spears’ office didn’t immediately respond to the Current’s request for comment.

It’s not unheard of for departing political staff to play pranks on incoming administrations. A 2002 General Accounting Office report noted that staffers for President Bill Clinton removed the “W” keys from computer keyboards before President George W. Bush’s administration arrived in the White House.

Allegations of staffers leaving threatening messages is far less common, however.

Naylor’s arrest comes as 85% of Americans told the Pew Research Center they worry politically motivated violence is on the rise.

Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed

​

​

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...