Federal prosecutors are fighting to keep the man accused of entering Chicago’s federal courthouse with a knife behind bars while he awaits trial.
Mario Santoyo, 38, appeared for a detention hearing at Dirksen Federal Courthouse on Tuesday, just a month after he allegedly caused the building to go into lockdown and prompted an hours-long standoff with authorities.
Santoyo’s attorneys argued that while his actions were disruptive, he never attempted to harm anyone and is not a threat to the community.
Santoyo had significant support in court Tuesday, with his pastor, mother and siblings — who have volunteered to house him — all in attendance.
“I ask the court, beyond everything that’s going on, to see the person that he was before — a beloved brother,” Santoyo’s sister told the judge. “He has never shown danger to the community.”
Judge Daniel McLaughlin ultimately agreed to release Santoyo on the condition that he live with his family, seek mental health treatment and stay away from federal law enforcement buildings.
“They’re all on notice now that if you’re not doing well, if people are not paying attention, that you have the capability of doing some very serious and dramatic things,” McLaughlin said of Santoyo’s family.
“It’s a close call,” McLaughlin added before ordering release. “What we’re doing here, I’m not doing it because I’m betting on you…I am doing it because the law requires me to do it.”
Prosecutors swiftly announced their intent to appeal the release, prompting McLaughlin to suspend the ruling until the appeal could be heard.
On July 22, Santoyo allegedly went to the federal courthouse to speak with FBI agents, claiming “gangsters” or “gangbangers” were trying to kill him, according to court documents.
Officers told him to leave the building if he did not have business there, according to court documents.
Instead, Santoyo allegedly pulled out a knife, held it to his throat, and said he was going to hurt himself.
After a nine-hour stand-off, authorities eventually “used non-lethal force” to place him in custody, the documents said.
He was taken to Northwestern Hospital, where he attempted to harm himself, requiring multiple security officers and agents to step in to restrain him, according to prosecutors.
“His behavior was erratic, which threatened the safety of hospital staff and patients in the hospital,” prosecutors said during their argument for continued detention. “The situation at Dirksen Courthouse and the hospital could have been a lot worse,”
Since his arrest, Santoyo has remained in custody at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where his condition has reportedly improved, according to his attorney.
“There’s been no incidents of aggressive, harmful behavior whatsoever,” Federal Public Defender Piyush Chandra said Tuesday.
Medical staff at the prison have given Santoyo a provisional diagnosis. His attorney did not publicly share the exact diagnosis but said, “It seems to be limited to one area in terms of his initial thinking.”
Family members noticed increased paranoia in the weeks leading up to the incident, according to prosecutors. But Santoyo’s sister said Tuesday they did not realize how serious the situation had become.
Santoyo has one previous misdemeanor conviction and no prior history of violence, according to his attorney.
He is charged with knowingly possessing a dangerous weapon in a federal facility with the intent that it be used in the commission of a crime. He has pleaded not guilty.