PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The niece of a man recently arrested for allegedly threatening West Palm Beach police officers said her family has been pleading for years to get him mental health care.
Bryan Slater, 46, is accused of making a fake Facebook account and writing death threats to West Palm Beach police leaders and officers.
WATCH: Niece addresses mental health issues
Samantha Mager, who said she was Slater’s niece, told WPTV he had a history of making fake social media profiles. She said he would make “weird” and untruthful posts that included claims against family members or his own identity.
“He's been Baker Acted before, he's seen a psychiatrist, he's gone on meds, he's been arrested. He's gone through this multiple times, but nothing ever seems to stick,” Mager said. “And they just keep releasing him to the public, and now it's come to this.”
She said she used to call Slater “Uncle Bear” growing up while playing a seven-year-long game of tag. Mager said she believes his struggles began after his mother and grandmother both died.
WATCH: Suspect accused of using fake Facebook account to threaten officers
“To watch him go downhill and not get any help, even though we've tried, it sucks,” she told WPTV’s Ethan Stein on Friday.
Slater, if convicted, faces up to 15 years in prison.
