A San Diego man has been sentenced to six months in federal prison and an additional four months of house arrest for sending a threatening email to a member of the LGBTQ community. This individual was featured in a 2023 news report that addressed the tragic killing of a woman who displayed a Pride flag outside her business near Lake Arrowhead.
George Joseph Wellinger II, 49, pleaded guilty in March to the federal offense of interstate threatening communication. The court noted a special finding that Wellinger intentionally targeted his victim based on her actual or perceived sexual orientation.
In the sentencing documents, Wellinger’s attorney highlighted that his client has since sent two letters of apology to the victim. In his second letter, Wellinger expressed that his actions were “extremely harmful, completely disrespectful, and despicable.”
The threatening email in question was sent on the same day a KTLA story was published, which detailed the slaying of 66-year-old Laura Carleton in August 2023. Carleton’s death occurred in the Lake Arrowhead area of San Bernardino County, where authorities reported that her killer, 27-year-old Travis Ikeguchi, tore down her rainbow Pride flag and made several homophobic remarks prior to the shooting. Ikeguchi was later killed in a shootout with sheriff’s deputies and had a history of sharing hateful posts about the LGBTQ community on social media.
Wellinger’s email was directed toward a woman who had appeared in the news report, and prosecutors stated that she was “clearly … in distress,” expressing how the killing had stripped away her sense of security. He wrote in his email: “I love it — another alphabet clown that wants to take a dirt nap too,” and included a link to the KTLA story.
The email further threatened, “We know what you look like and where you are… only a matter of time…” and concluded with the ominous phrase, “Love it … we coming for your rainbow azz. Click Click!!!!”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Jimenez emphasized that there was no ambiguity in Wellinger’s message, noting that a reasonable person would view it as a death threat. The phrase “dirt nap” was explicitly referenced to suggest burial, while “click click” imitated the sound of a firearm being cocked.
Jimenez also detailed the profound impact the threat had on the victim’s life, stating that she now lives in fear, experiences panic attacks, altered her daily routine, and sought therapy to cope with the distress caused by the email.
Defense attorney Stefano Molea, in the sentencing documents, portrayed Wellinger as a man grappling with feelings of shame and regret. He pointed out that his client’s behavior was partially driven by binge drinking and isolation, factors that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Mr. Wellinger has accepted full responsibility for his conduct and is sincerely remorseful for the harm his words have caused,” Molea commented in a statement to the Union-Tribune. He added that Wellinger is committed to taking restorative actions and working on self-improvement.
The apology letters sent to the victim included one written while FBI agents were searching Wellinger’s home. In a more recent letter from April, Wellinger mentioned undergoing therapy, which has assisted him in understanding the motivations behind his outburst. He confessed, “It was my loneliness and lack of community at the time that made me angry towards yours.”
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