Man found guilty for Facebook threats at against Women’s March SLO

October 31, 2018

Daniel Joshua Phares

An Atascadero man who posted death threats on the Facebook page of the Women’s March San Luis Obispo will avoid jail time but he will have to serve 18 months of probation and give up his firearms for 10 years after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors. [Cal Coast Times]

In Aug. 2017, the Women’s March SLO organized a vigil in the aftermath of racially charged violence in Charlottesville, Virginia that left one person dead in a vehicle ramming attack. Under a Facebook post announcing the vigil, Daniel Joshua Phares, 46, posted multiple threatening comments that he later deleted.

“I will kill every one of you and will make you like it,” Phares wrote in one of the posts.

SLO County prosecutors say Phares also commented about nerve gas being awful and excruciating, “except using it on the degenerate shitholes of the world would definitely be in the common good. We need to make sure America’s stockpiles are safe.”

San Luis Obispo police detectives interviewed Phares, who admitted to making and later taking down the threatening posts. Phares said he was just venting his frustration with the state of events in the country and didn’t intend to hurt anyone.  Phares also said he was sick of views opposing his own, and he said he thought it was better to vent than actually do something about his frustration, according to police.

On Tuesday, Phares pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of making criminal threats. The maximum punishment he could receive for the crime is six months in county jail.

Phares’s plea agreement calls for him to serve 18 months of formal probation, undergo anger management counseling and be subject to a 10-year ban from owning or possessing firearms and ammunition. The plea deal also requires Phares to write letters of apology to the victims of his threats.

Prior to posting the threats, Phares owned three firearms — two handguns and an AR-15. Police seized the handguns from his home and the AR-15 from a storage locker.

During the case, Phares’s attorney argued the threats did not specifically target any person and did not constitute a crime. The SLO County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release that the threats caused the victims to be terrified for their safety.

“Threats like this, whether on social media or made in person, must be taken seriously and will be vigorously prosecuted by my office,” District Attorney Dan Down said in a statement. “Our staff has worked closely with the victims in this case to ensure that their concerns were heard. Any victims who wish to do so will also have an opportunity to address the judge and Mr. Phares at the time of sentencing.”

Phares is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 11.


Loading...
5 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

“sweethome” nailed this guy 100 percent. Clearly, from his rants against women or anyone who disagrees with him gets a death threat…..that is the calling card of the cult of personality that surrounds Pres.Trump and his 6,000 (and counting) lies he’s told the public. Even today, Pres.Trump was on the campaign trail, lying and pontificating. This idiot is probably going to get an invite to the White House.


He looks like a cross between Pee Wee Herman and Jeffrey Dahmer. I sense we haven’t heard the last of this creep. Probation is a pathetic piece of justice.


Fun fact, Dan recently sent someone to prison for 7 years for stealing a bicycle, a non violent crime. But threatening to kill a group of women, a terroristic threat, no problem. His Facebook page Describes Dan as a “ political candidate“. I will vote against him and jail slumlord Parkinson every time they come up, just like whack a mole. Neither plea deal Dan or pretty boy Parkinson are fulfilling their duty to protect & serve the public. Both are lazy swine at the trough, just here to collect their government paychecks.


Mr. Dow, why aren’t the threats and actual attacks on the reporters of this website prosecuted? What you have allowed to happen to Karen and Dan is criminal. Team Adam Hill actually successfully sued Karen and Dan by coordinating proven perjurious statements (conspiracy by definition) and frauding the court. Now that the facts are published you are responsible to act or you are negligent. How could you, knowing the facts, continue to turn a blind eye? Do tell. 


Don’t tell me let me guess……..another Trump fan!