GRANTS, N.M. — A man threatened to kill a judge Monday morning, according to the Cibola County Sheriff Larry Diaz. The man reportedly showed up at the courthouse with an ax.

The threat was allegedly directed toward Judge Amanda Sanchez Villalobos. She’s a judge for the 13th Judicial District overseeing Cibola, Sandoval and Valencia counties.

The sheriff says the suspect, John Karl O’Brien, called a nearby law firm threatening to kill the judge. Officials then put the courthouse on lockdown.

When deputies got to the courthouse, they reportedly saw O’Brien walking up to the entrance with an ax. They pulled out their guns and demanded he drop the axe, and he did.

O’Brien is now in jail facing multiple charges, including first-degree attempted murder and threatening a judge.

The sheriff says they’re still investigating a possible motive for the threat.