Judge hikes bail for Army vet accused of threat to synagogue

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A courtroom outburst by a man accused of telephoning threats to “shoot up” a Southern Nevada synagogue prompted a judge to increase his bail on Wednesday, despite the man’s father’s account that his son is a military veteran with “a mental issue” resulting from head injuries. Sanchez’s verbal protest came after his father, also named Michael Sanchez, told the judge his son “may be a little crazy, but he’s not dangerous.” “He’s never carried out anything to anybody,” the elder Sanchez said. “He just talks.” Outside court, father Michael Sanchez of Hemet, California, said his son took part in heavy fighting in Iraq during two combat tours as a U.S. Army artillery officer before he was honorably discharged at the rank of sergeant. “He’s a veteran and he’s got a mental issue,” the father said, attributing his son’s mood swings to a head injury received after returning to the U.S. and a diagnosed brain aneurysm.