A Maricopa man accused of phoning violent threats to the city’s only mosque appeared in court today, where a judge scheduled his change-of-plea hearing for Oct. 28. 

Mark Martinez, 36, is charged with threatening or intimidating after police say he called Masjid Bilal ibn Rabah on Aug. 3 and vowed a “crusade” against Muslims. He was arrested Aug. 29 at his home in The Villages and remains free on bond.  

He said he plans to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge at that October hearing. 

Outside the courthouse today, Martinez acknowledged making the call but said he regrets his words. His call came on a Sunday morning, when Sunday School was taking place. 

“I felt awful. I didn’t know there were kids there when I called. It wasn’t my intention to scare a bunch of kids or people,” he told InMaricopa. “But, you know, I did it. So yeah. I have to go through it.” 

Martinez added that he was angry and felt “antagonized” during the call but admitted he “said a bunch of dumb [things].”  

He said pleading guilty is part of accepting responsibility.  

“It is what it is. I felt [terrible] in jail … but I did it,” he said. 

Police said Martinez repeatedly used slurs and affirmed he would be “one of the attackers” during the August call. Investigators confirmed the threats with the help of a partial audio recording provided by mosque leaders, as well as phone record analysis and federal coordination. 

The Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations welcomed Maricopa police’s handling of the case and the release of the recording on Wednesday.  

“The chilling nature of these messages is a stark reminder of the ongoing danger that the Muslim and other minority communities face,” said CAIR Arizona Executive Director Azza Abuseif in a statement. “No community should live in fear of violence or harassment because of their religious identity.” 

You can listen to the recording below. Listener discretion is advised: