A Westmoreland County man who confronted a judge over a sentence admitted to sheriff's deputies that he spray-painted a threat against the judge on the courthouse wall because the judge "disrespected him," according to a criminal complaint.

Allegheny County sheriff's deputies arrested Paul Rodriguez Sirmons, 39, of North Huntingdon, Tuesday night on charges that he used red paint on Feb. 2 to scribble a largely illegible message that included "Judge Ma..." and "die" near the Ross Street entrance.

Sirmons told deputies he painted the message in reference to Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Manning. Sirmons said he confronted Manning while the judge was shopping with his wife at Macy's, Downtown, and demanded to know why Manning had placed him on probation years before, the complaint states.

"Judge Manning told him to get out of his face, and Sirmons said he left," the complaint states. "Sirmons said that he spray-painted the wall because Judge Manning disrespected him."

Manning said he recalled speaking with the man in the fall, but outside the courthouse on the street. The judge said Sirmons tried to speak with him about a probation violation. Manning said he informed Sirmons he couldn't talk about court business and that he should speak with his attorney.

"The credit should go to Lt. Jack Kearney and his detectives for finding him," said Manning. "We ought to send them after Osama bin Laden."

In 1994, Manning sentenced Sirmons to two years' probation on a simple assault charge, court records show.

In October 2007, Sirmons was charged with contempt of court for taking pictures of witnesses in a courtroom during a trial in the fatal shooting of a state trooper. Judge Lawrence O'Toole found Sirmons guilty of summary charges of defiant trespass, disorderly conduct and harassment in connection with the picture-taking.

Sirmons was arrested two other times, once by Pitt police in February 2008 for trespassing, giving false identification and disorderly conduct; and in June 1995 for aggravated assault, resisting arrest and other charges, court records show.

The Sheriff's Office Tuesday released video footage of a person approaching the courthouse around the time of the spray-painting incident. A man called and tipped off investigators to Sirmons, Sheriff Bill Mullen said.

Sirmons is charged with criminal mischief, institutional vandalism and terroristic threats.

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