Menifee City Council candidate Randy Madrid sent two threatening texts to City Manager Armando Villa just days after the first published news report of his alleged election fraud, Menifee 24/7 has learned.
The texts were sent on Aug. 26 – four days after Menifee 24/7 first reported that Madrid’s residency status to serve on the City Council in District 4 was in question. The day after the texts were sent, Menifee 24/7 reported that Madrid had signed under penalty of perjury a form stating he lived in that district, giving a false address.
Screen shots of the texts, obtained by this news outlet through a public records request, can be read in their entirety in the middle of this news article.
The texts were sent a week after City Clerk Stephanie Roseen informed Madrid that the Registrar of Voters had ruled he missed the deadline for withdrawing from the race and would be listed on the ballot. Madrid’s original request to withdraw came on Aug. 17 – apparently after he learned that his eligibility papers were being questioned.
“And if I win, I have to serve and live in the district prior to being sworn in,” Madrid wrote to Villa on Aug. 26. “I will win; then what will you do? And I will clean house. That’s not a threat, that’s a fact.
“If this City clerk keeps publicly saying that I need to lawyer up, that’s not gonna end well for the city. Once again, you will have mud on your face. When it’s all said and done, it’ll come out, but I did nothing wrong.”
Then Madrid seemed to demand that Villa oversee an amendment to the election rules in order to state that Madrid would be eligible as long as he lives in the district by election day on Nov. 3.
“The city needs an amended resolution to establish the specific timeline (prior to being sworn in) to accommodate the election guidelines,” Madrid wrote. “The DA is not interested in city stuff. They’re interested in election fraud.”
In the second text, sent a little more than an hour later, Madrid demanded that Villa fire Roseen, then threatened his own legal action.
“I signed under perjury that if I won the election, I would accept the position,” he wrote. “Stephanie (Melcher) is saying that I should Lawyer up. Really? Careful what you ask for, you might get it.”
The name “Melcher” refers to City Attorney Jeffrey Melching.
“If this goes to Court, it’s not gonna be pretty and Stephanie is gonna be a proven liar and you’re gonna look like shit,” the text continued. “You’re gonna look like you have no backbone just like Melcher. I have protected you for a long time and I will as long as I can.”
Following an investigation by the District Attorney’s Office, Madrid was arrested Sept. 14 and faces four felony counts, including perjury and election fraud. He was released on $30,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 23.
Meanwhile, Madrid continues to publicly state that because his name is on the ballot, he will run – and win. He contacted the moderator of the upcoming Menifee 24/7 Candidates Forum and said, “Count me in for the debate. I am still on the ballot. They can’t get me off no matter hard they try, and trust me, there’s a coup. I have done nothing wrong. You’ll find out afer my court date.”
Madrid was given written that he is no longer welcome at the Sept. 23 Candidates Forum. He did not respond.
Menifee 24/7 has obtained a copy of the Declaration in Support of Arrest Warrant filed by investigator Michael Hamilton of the DA’s Office. It states that an investigation was begun after it was learned that Madrid registered to vote using an address on Winding Brook Lane, which is located within District 4 of Menifee.
“I interviewed the owner of (redacted address) Winding Brook Drive,” Hamilton wrote. “(Redacted) stated he has owned and occupied the residence since 2011 and Madrid has never lived at or rented any portion of the property. He explained that the property was listed for sale and Madrid viewed it as a prospective purchaser; however, Madrid never submitted an offer to purchase the property and it never entered escrow.”
That was the address that shows as Madrid’s residence on the declaration of candidacy he signed under penalty of perjury.
Hamilton’s declaration shows no Menifee address for Madrid during the 10 years he served on the Planning Commission, from which he resigned on Sept. 3. The document states that records obtained from the Registrar of Voters showed that Madrid submitted a registration form on June 2 using an address on Inverness Court in Menifee, again signing the document under penalty of perjury. The resident at that address is stated in the document as Madrid’s sister, and “(redacted) states that Madrid had never lived at her residence.”
On July 16, Madrid changed his voter registration online from Inverness Court to Winding Brook Drive. Those falsifications on June 2 and July 16 constitute two of the four felonies against him.
In an interview with Hamilton on Aug. 25 – the day before his texts to Villa – Madrid admitted that he never lived on Winding Brook Drive and characterized it as a “technicality” because he intended to purchase the property and move into the district.
“Madrid acknowledged that neither Menifee address was his actual residence and admitted his voter-registration status was ‘wrong.’” Hamilton wrote.
According to law enforcement records referred to in Hamilton’s document, Madrid’s actual residence is on Camelina Street in Lake Elsinore. Records show he used that address when renewing his driver license in August 2025 and registering his BMW in November 2025. During surveillance at that address on Aug, 24, 2026, Hamilton observed Madrid exit the home’s garage driving his registered BMW.
State and local ordinances require that a person must reside in Menifee in order to serve on the Planning Commission as well as the City Council. However, the City of Menifee is not legally required to verify residences. City officials did not respond on Tuesday to Menifee 24/7’s questions regarding that issue.
The Menifee 24/7 Candidates Forum will go on as scheduled without Madrid on Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at Liberty High School. District 4 candidate Frank Sandoval will attend. The other District 4 candidate, Daniel Stephens, has not responded to multiple inquiries from Menifee 24/7.
District 2 candidates Ben Diederich, Laz Peterson, and Tom Fuhrman are scheduled to attend. Audience members will be allowed to ask questions of the candidates in person. They may also send questions in advance to info@menifee247.com
