A mixed martial arts fighter and former cast member of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality television show in 2007 is back behind bars for the third time in a week, this time for allegedly threatening a judge.
A mixed martial arts fighter and former cast member of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality television show in 2007 is back behind bars for the third time in a week, this time for allegedly threatening a judge.
According to court documents filed by police, 36-year-old Daniel Barrera of Keaau was taken into custody on an all-points bulletin Thursday evening on Pahoa Village Road after a nurse and a guard at Hawaii Community Correctional Center reported Barrera made threats directed toward Hilo District Judge Harry Freitas, former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion BJ Penn, Penn’s older brother, JD Penn, and police officers whom Barrera claimed beat him up.
Barrera, who was released on bail twice in the previous week — including earlier the same day — was charged with first-degree terroristic threatening, a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison. His bail was set at $50,000.
Documents state the guard told police Barrera said Freitas “put me here and he going get his one day” and the nurse reported Barrera said “I was in the military and I killed guys, so I get no problem killing again.” Barrera is also alleged to have told the nurse he was going to “get BJ Penn.” In addition, Barrera expressed anger toward Penn’s brother, whom Barrera reportedly said had him arrested for disorderly conduct Tuesday evening for allegedly challenging gym members to fight at the Penn Training and Fitness Center in Hilo.
According to documents, HCCC Warden Peter Cabreros notified Freitas of the threat.
Barrera had Band-Aids on his face and an ear, a swollen foot and what appeared to be cotton in his nostrils as he was was wheeled into the courtroom for his initial appearance on Friday. When told by Hilo District Judge Dakota Frenz media had requested permission to photograph the proceedings, Barrera said, “Yes. Absolutely. F——-g yes! Please record, please. I am a celebrity. I am a combat veteran and yeah, I was on ‘The Ultimate Fighter 6,’ baby! I’m a singer. I do commercials.”
At least a half-dozen sheriff’s deputies were deployed in the courtroom to keep order during the brief hearing. When the Tribune-Herald tried to get a better angle to photograph Barrera he told them, “Get out of the way. You’re the f——-g sideshow.”
Displaying the swollen foot in his wheelchair, Barrera said, “Look, staph. I’ve got staph. Take a picture; I’ve got staphylococcus in my foot. … Staph, bro! Good job, deputy prosecutor. I’ve got staph, bro!”
Frenz then told Barrera to watch his language and he apologized to the judge.
Deputy Prosecutor Glenn Shiigi then asked for the judge to order a mental examination for Barrera.
“No! Negative!” Barrera said. “You already got four of ’em.”
Barrera asked the judge if he could approach the bench and Frenz replied, “Unfortunately not, but you can address me from there.”
Barrera then asked his case manager, who was sitting in the courtroom gallery, to come to the defense table, but the man remained seated. At that time, Barrera started rapping quickly on the table with his handcuffs, something he also did in a court appearance Monday.
At that time, Frenz approved the mental examination and ordered Barrera to appear at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 28, and Barrera exclaimed, “No, no, no, no!”
“Where are you going to send me? Red Roof? Red Roof? Am I being released to Red Roof?” he asked, using a nickname for the Hawaii State Hospital in Kaneohe, Oahu.
“That’s up to the jail, sir,” Frenz said.
“OK, I will go to Red Roof. Thank you,” Barrera said and deputies wheeled him out of the courtroom.
Barrera is also pending mental examinations for the Penn gym incident and for allegedly walking uninvited into a Pahoa High School wrestling practice on Feb. 3 and striking a girl grappler three times in the back, prompting a misdemeanor assault charge.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.