BROOKVILLE BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) – A Venango County man is facing multiple charges after police say he threatened to kill a Jefferson County judge and members of his own family following a custody hearing.
According to court documents, the Brookville Borough Police Department filed the following criminal charges against 25-year-old Zachary Mangum, of Oil City, on August 25, 2025, in Magisterial District Judge Gregory M. Bazylak’s office:
- Terroristic Threats with Intent to Terrorize Another, Misdemeanor 1, (three counts)
- Harassment – Communicating Lewd, Threatening, etc. Language, Misdemeanor 3
According to a criminal complaint, a woman who shares a child with Mangum met with Brookville Police Officer Mickey Stormer on August 24, 2025, to discuss threats she had reportedly heard from Mangum. The woman told police that Mangum, who was hospitalized for mental health issues, had made multiple violent threats, the complaint said.
The complaint stated that the threats were communicated through a third party, who had been updating the woman on his condition. According to police, Mangum had been living in Oil City and had allegedly become increasingly unstable in recent months.
The third party reportedly told police that Mangum became enraged after a custody hearing on or about July 25, 2025, and said he planned to break into the woman’s residence to kill her and their child. They also said Mangum believed his son was dead or being molested and made increasingly disturbing comments about the boy.
According to the affidavit, on August 16, 2025, Mangum allegedly said he would kill “the judge” if he was not allowed to see his son after the next custody hearing, which was scheduled for September 11, 2025. Police believe he was referring to Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge John Foradora, the complaint notes.
The third party reportedly told Officer Stormer they feared Mangum would act on his threats. They said the mother of Mangum’s child has a current Protection from Abuse order against him but remains concerned for her safety and that of her child, according to the complaint.
Police said Mangum’s reported threats, combined with his mental health history and protective order violations, were grounds for a criminal complaint and arrest warrant, the complaint indicates.
Court records show Mangum’s case is currently awaiting a preliminary hearing.
