CHANDLER, AZ — A Chandler-area man is facing felony stalking and terrorist threat charges after police say he left more than 100 voicemails for a former high school classmate and made threats about attacking a Pride parade.
Austin Jay Curtis, 32, was arrested October 12 at his Gilbert residence, one day after Phoenix Pride wrapped up downtown.
According to court records, the victim told police she and Curtis attended high school together more than 10 years ago but never dated and were not friends. She said Curtis obtained her phone number through an old Facebook message and found her home address online.
Court records say Curtis left the victim over 100 voicemails from an unknown phone number. On October 11, he went to her Chandler residence, banged aggressively on her door and left bags and boxes on her doorstep. Because some voicemails mentioned bombs, an explosive ordnance disposal unit checked the packages and found no explosive materials. The bags contained several knives, a set of keys, dog poop bags and other miscellaneous items. Curtis later told investigators he left the knives so the victim could protect herself.
The voicemails also included threats to stalk the victim, references to rape, threats to cut off her limbs, and statements about driving a U-Haul through a parade of gay people and "start firing at everybody," according to court records. Curtis also made suicidal statements in the messages.
The victim had previously reported telephone harassment by Curtis to Chandler police in July 2026, which was charged to the Chandler City Prosecutor.
On October 12, while the victim was at the Chandler Police Department to discuss the ongoing harassment, Curtis called her cellphone multiple times. She answered one call while an officer listened. During that call, Curtis confirmed he had gone to her residence, banged on her door and left items there. He told her he was "obsessed" with her and said he found her address online.
After she told him to stop contacting her and hung up, he called her multiple times again.
Court records show Curtis also contacted the victim through TikTok and left her his address in one of those messages.
Following his arrest, Curtis told investigators in a post-Miranda interview that he estimated he had sent the victim "about 9 million messages" over approximately the past year and a half. He said he has done this to several people and that it "just becomes an obsession." He admitted going to the victim's residence two to three times.
He said he believed she may be in a cult and needed to be rescued, but acknowledged that when he takes too much Adderall, he has trouble knowing what is real.
Curtis admitted making rape and other threatening comments to the victim but claimed they were jokes and that he had no intention of harming her. He also admitted making statements about hurting people at a Pride parade but said it was "just a joke" and that he says things people shouldn't say to test the First Amendment.
He told investigators he was "surprised it took this long to get arrested" and acknowledged he has been making threats online for years.
A search warrant served on Curtis's residence resulted in the seizure of several firearms, including an assault-type rifle, as well as electronic devices and edged weapons.
The victim told police she is in fear for her safety, has filed for an injunction against harassment and sought temporary shelter after Curtis came to her home. She requested a police escort before his arrest and expressed concern that Curtis would follow through on his threats even after being taken into custody.
Curtis faces one count of stalking, a class 5 felony; one count of making a terrorist threat, a class 3 felony; and one count of threatening or intimidating, a class 1 misdemeanor. He is being held on a $75,000 secured appearance bond. Court records list prior arrests including marijuana possession, domestic violence assault, domestic violence disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, as well as prior convictions for liquor under 21 and disorderly conduct fighting.
Phoenix Pride has been targeted before.
Earlier this year, a teenager was sentenced for plotting to detonate explosives at the 2024 parade in what prosecutors called an ISIS-inspired attack.
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