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Secret Service: Melbourne man said he wants to 'hunt down and kill' Obama

MELBOURNE, Fla. — A Melbourne man was arrested after the Secret Service said he threatened to "hunt down and kill" the president, then "watch the life disappear from his eyes."

Investigators said Christopher Castillo, 28, posted the threats on his Facebook page days before the election. And when federal agents showed up to his home for questioning, they said Castillo made even more violent threats.

At a hearing in federal court on Wednesday, the magistrate judge said everyone's safety is his main concern, not just because of the threats against President Barack Obama, but also because of the apparently fragile mental state of Castillo.

WFTV learned the suspect recently lost his job at a Brevard County car dealership after allegedly getting into a physical altercation with a co-worker. In court, the judge said Castillo tried to kill himself around the same time and was committed for mental health evaluation.

Castillo has since been charged with making brazen threats against Obama. Prosecutors said the Secret Service was tipped off Nov. 1 that Castillo was posting the threats on Facebook.

Documents show Castillo wrote, "That's the last straw, if he gets re-elected I'm going to hunt him down and kill him watch the life disappear from his eyes."

Agents said when the tipster warned Castillo he was breaking the law, Castillo replied, "I wouldn't call it a threat but more of a promise, let them come after me... Be more than happy to take a few of them with me."

On Wednesday, two Secret Service agents and a Brevard County detective said Castillo admitted to the threats but said it was out of severe anger over the president's health care views.

Agents said when they asked Castillo what he would do if the president was standing here right now, Castillo told them he would, "(Expletive) slap him and beat the (expletive) out of him," and "scream and yell at him and tell him he was a terrorist."

When Castillo was warned he was violating federal law, investigators said his response was, "It did not matter."

The magistrate judge ruled Castillo won't get out of jail until he gets a GPS monitor to track his whereabouts. He also has been ordered to remain in central Florida, get mental health treatment and stay away from guns.