The video shows the man ringing the doorbell with a knife in his hand at 3:30 a.m. He is wearing gloves. Moments later, the man moves to the backyard and jumps the fence. He bangs on the back door with the knife still in hand as a sheriff's deputy moves in.
In court on Wednesday, the suspect, Larry Torrez, pleaded not guilty to attempted burglary and trespass. A judge set bail at $30,000.
"I have a little girl at home. You know, it was a very traumatic incident. And, you know, we're doing the best that we can," Janz told Action News.
Janz said he and his family were inside when Torrez approached.
"This is definitely an escalation from prior incidents. But, you know, I had a feeling that it was somebody that knew who I was or had some involvement with my work," Janz said.
Torrez is known to Valley law enforcement and public officials. He has several prior felony convictions and has filed multiple lawsuits against the City of Fresno.
On his Facebook page, the background photo is set to City Hall. Fresno County prosecutor Victor Lai described Torrez as having "a fixation with the Fresno Police Department."
The incident comes amid a surge in political violence nationwide.
The Impact Project's Security Map Dashboard shows threats against local public servants have increased substantially over the last decade.
"It's come home for me, at least to Fresno. Political violence is on the rise, and it has a lot to do with, I think, the political rhetoric that's going on all across the country. Somebody's going to get hurt here in Fresno," Janz said.
Janz vows to continue his work. "I was back at work the next day. I will not let threats or violence deter me from the good work that that me and my staff do for the City of Fresno," he said.
The judge ordered Torrez to stay away from Janz and his family and barred him from having any contact.
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