By admin 
CHANDLER, AZ (AZFamily) — A 40-year-old Chandler man remains behind bars after allegedly threatening to run over children at an East Valley school and plotting to kill Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, according to court documents.
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Daniel Sterling Lamb was arrested Saturday and has been charged with making a terroristic threat. He appeared before a Maricopa County judge for his initial appearance, where prosecutors requested a $250,000 bond. The court instead set bond at $100,000, a decision that raised questions about whether it was sufficient given the severity of the alleged threats. Lamb appeared visibly surprised when the judge announced the amount.
“Yes, the county attorney asked for $250,000,” the judge noted during the hearing.
According to court documents, Lamb sent multiple disturbing messages to his mother and another person in California, at times claiming he was possessed by “child killers.” Investigators said Lamb wrote that he noticed a “pretty flimsy barrier” at a Chandler school and that the only thing stopping him from running over children during recess was that he was “a good person.” Officials said Lamb referenced passing by the school in his emails.
In other messages, authorities said Lamb threatened to track down Hobbs and her family to stab them to death, citing how much he “hates America.” He allegedly warned that if law enforcement tried to stop him, he would plow his vehicle into the first group of people he encountered.
Detectives used phone pings to track Lamb and took him into custody outside a Chandler residence. Lamb’s mother said he suffers from severe mental illness.
Process of setting bond
Legal experts note that initial court appearances require judges to make rapid assessments with limited information.
“We look at family, friends, where they live, how long they’ve lived there,” said Susie Charbel, a former prosecutor who now works as a defense attorney and judge. “We also look at their possible dangerousness to the community. We also look at, are they likely to return and show up for court as ordered every time.”
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Charbel said the pattern and frequency of Lamb’s alleged threats—which court records show date back months without physical follow-through—would have raised significant concerns.
“I think how often he made the threats is what really concerned me,” Charbel said. “And who knows how many other people he has sent that to that have not come through.”
Still, Charbel said judicial discretion centers on balancing community protection with ensuring a defendant appears in court.
“I’m sure he made the decision that seems likely to bring on the outcome that he wanted, which is basically to keep us safe, keep the community safe, and have the person go ahead and show up for every hearing that he is ordered to show up for,” Charbel said.
If Lamb posts the $100,000 bond, he will be subject to electronic monitoring as a condition of his release.
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