Man accused of threatening voice messages to Council on American-Islamic Relations will stand trial

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – The La Mesa man accused of leaving a threatening voice message at the San Diego office of the Council on American-Islamic Relationsand sending a threatening email to the organization’s Washington, D.C., office, will stand trial on felony charges.

“It was a horrific message,” said the woman, who did not want to bepublicly identified. “I was terrified.”

The woman said the man mentioned the massacre at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris, and threatened to shoot her and her fellow employees.

Deputy District Attorney Oscar Garcia said John David Weissinger, 53, faces a a maximum of eight years in prison ifconvicted of eight charges, including making a criminal threat and hate crimeallegations.

The woman testified she had seen Weissinger hanging around the localCAIR office several times in the weeks before the hate-filled voice message wasleft, and San Diego police Detective Dean Way testified that an assault rifle wasfound during a Jan. 27 search of Weissinger’s home.

“He admitted everything,” the detective said, testifying thatWeissinger told him he was drunk at the time and that it was a “stupid thingto do.”

“It’s a rant. It’s a drunken rant,” Defense attorney Tom Matthews argued before Judge Frederic Link.

According to the judge, enough evidence was presented for Weissinger tostand trial on felony charges of making a criminal threat, attempted criminalthreat, possession of an illegal assault weapon, possession of a high-capacitymagazine and misdemeanor phone threat and hate crime charges.

Weissinger is free on $50,000 bail, but is expected back in court April.