Fresno City Attorney, family allegedly held at knifepoint by man currently on parole

Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz said a man appeared at his Fresno home in the early morning hours of May 17, armed with a knife.

Fresno County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Larry Orduna Torrez, 56 of Fresno, a department spokesperson confirmed. Torrez appeared in court for arraignment Wednesday, accused of attempted first-degree burglary and trespassing. He pleaded not guilty through his attorney, Micaela Cisneros-Nuñez.

Fresno Superior Court Judge Geoffrey Wilson granted Torrez $30,000 bail requested by Cisneros-Nuñez. Prosecutor Victor Lai objected. Wilson also issued a criminal protective order in behalf of Janz and his family.

Lai said that Torrez is currently on parole for a case from Madera County for being a felon in possession of tear gas. He called the facts of Torrez’s past “lead to a heightened degree of concern.”

Torrez appeared at Janz’s home at 3:30 in the morning ringing the doorbell, brandishing a knife and wearing gloves, Lai alleged. He then proceeded to the backyard.

“He banged on the back door of the residence and stayed in the backyard until he was apprehended by the authorities,” Lai said.

The judge did not rule on a request to revoke parole. The case returns to court May 27 for a pre-preliminary hearing and June 3 for the preliminary hearing.

Janz: Suspect ‘angry’ about failed restraining orders

Janz said he never had prior personal contact with Torrez. The suspect filed his own restraining orders in the last six months against Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto, and a probation officer. Separate judges denied both petitions. Janz’s office defended the city in the Casto petition.

“That is why we believe that he came to my house this weekend, in the middle of the night. He was angry about the outcomes of those cases. It wasn’t a random act by any means, in my opinion. My family’s holding up fine, but it was a really disturbing incident for my family,” Janz said after the arraignment.

Janz praised deputies who showed up “almost immediately” to his Old Fig Garden-area home.

“I’m fortunate enough to have firearms in the house, and so I was able to easily obtain those and protect my family,” Janz said. He did not point his firearm at the suspect, he said.

Janz did not comment what additional security measures he and his family may take.

Threats to Janz

This is the third time Janz has been threatened in this manner, he said. In 2018, while a congressional candidate, someone made an online threat. In 2023, a man was arrested but not charged for allegedly threatening Janz and a county judge.

He called threats to public officials a national trend and normalized behavior.

“It needs to stop. Someone’s going to get hurt,” Janz said.

Janz appeared in court Wednesday, along with two members of his office, Sukhman Sekhon and Ashley Paulson. The latter is running for judge in the June 2 election.

Torrez has long criminal history

Torrez has a long history with the court — 21 felony and misdemeanor convictions dating back to 1988. The charges include elder abuse, sexual assault, and several DUIs.

Torrez served jail time for the tear gas possession, released from prison in 2024, according to court records. Records show he is also a registered sex offender, stemming from a 1995 case.

A parole report said Torrez’s performance has been “unsatisfactory,” in part because he has failed to obtain employment. His attorney in court said he worked as a truck driver.

In January, Torrez filed a restraining order against Casto, alleging “a police assailant” altering his car. He also claimed general harassment. Judge Robert Whalen denied the motion.

Wednesday’s case was initially assigned to Commissioner Daniel Brickey. He had to recuse himself because his wife formerly worked for the City Attorney’s Office with Janz. Brickey and Janz are also social friends.

This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 2:45 PM.