A judge on Wednesday ordered the release of the man who allegedly caused last month’s lockdown and hourslong standoff at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, finding that the man had reached “a breaking point” but does not pose the kind of safety risk that requires detention.
U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland acknowledged that the case of 38-year-old Mario Santoyo might be getting “some heightened attention” in the building “because it happened in our home and in our courthouse that we love.”
But looking at the situation “clear-eyed,” she said, “I don’t think that the defendant poses the kind of risk to the community that I’m normally faced with when I’m facing the decision to detain somebody.”
Rowland agreed to let Santoyo’s sister serve as a third-party custodian. The judge also set other conditions, including that Santoyo receive mental health treatment.
Santoyo thanked the judge after she handed down her ruling, telling her he’s “very grateful for this chance.”
Federal prosecutors took the question of Santoyo’s detention to Rowland one day after U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel McLaughlin agreed to Santoyo’s release. McLaughlin stayed his ruling while the feds appealed his decision.
Santoyo 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 allegedly came to the courthouse at 219 S. Dearborn on July 22 asking for the FBI and claiming that “gangsters” or “gangbangers” were trying to kill him.
After a court security officer told him the FBI’s offices were elsewhere and asked him to leave, Santoyo allegedly pulled out a knife, held it to his throat and said he was going to hurt himself.
The resulting stand-off lasted nine hours and prompted the evacuation of the downtown courthouse. However, in an eight-page motion filed Wednesday, prosecutors acknowledged that Santoyo “did not physically or verbally direct threats at another person.”
Defense attorney Piyush Chandra echoed that comment during Wednesday’s hearing.
“[Santoyo] never attempted to make a gesture indicating a threat or violent act to another person there,” Chandra said. “He never even tried to pass the security barrier in the lobby of the court.”
Despite that, Chandra acknowledged that Santoyo was wearing a backpack that day, and authorities “had no idea” what was in it.
“Clearly, the response by the U.S. Marshals Service and associated agencies was reasonable, proper and correct — closing down the building, marking off the area,” Chandra said.
Chandra also said that Santoyo’s decision to put a knife to his neck “was his misguided attempt that day to try to get some attention so that authorities would come and speak to him.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Chmura argued for Santoyo’s detention. Not only did Santoyo allegedly prompt the Dirksen lockdown, but the prosecutor said Santoyo tried to hurt himself later at a hospital and reacted violently when authorities tried to intervene.