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This actress first came to the public's attention as ditzy blonde Kelly Bundy on Married With Children and then with her own sitcom, Jesse. An alleged stalker who called himself "Big Boy" in his letters to actress Christina Applegate has been arrested in Arizona for threatening to kill a sheriff and a news anchorwoman. Maricopa County sheriff's deputies arrested Gabriel Aranda Espinosa, 36, of Phoenix on Friday for two felony stalking counts and two outstanding warrants, sheriff's spokeswoman Lisa Allen said. Espinosa allegedly made phone threats saying he would kill both Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- who styles himself as the country's toughest lawman -- and Channel

12 anchorwoman Jineane Ford. "Arpaio -- he is dead Saturday," the 210-pound Espinosa allegedly said in one telephone call to the sheriff's office. The suspected stalker was tracked to a pay phone after he called in some of his threats to 911. Letters and cards found At Espinosa's house at 6901 W. Catalina, sheriff's detectives said they found several letters and postcards addressed to Applegate, the 28-year-old blond actress who gained fame as the ditzy daughter on Fox's Married With Children. "Those letters were signed 'Big Boy,' which is his apparent nickname," Allen said. The contents of the letters were not disclosed. A publicist for Applegate said the Espinosa name sounded familiar, but she could not supply further information by press time. Gifts for Madonna, Mariah Carey In California, law enforcement authorities have questioned Espinosa for other suspicious behavior, such as leaving gifts for Madonna and singer Mariah Carey, according to a statement from the Maricopa Sheriff's Office. Madonna's security crew confirmed to the sheriff's office that Espinosa was "known to her and has troubled her in the past," Allen said. Espinosa's most serious alleged stalking threats came not in Hollywood but in Arizona, where he was arrested in 1995 for carrying a concealed weapon on his way to see Ford appear at the Arizona State Fair. He was convicted on weapons charges and got three years' probation. In 1999, he was arrested for armed robbery in Phoenix, but the charge was later reduced to shoplifting and threatening. In jail with 'Sammy the Bull' Espinosa is being held at the Maricopa County Jail with bond set at nearly $6,000. The sheriff's office does not know yet if Espinosa has a history of mental illness. By coincidence, mob hit man Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano also is being held at the Maricopa jail, awaiting an appearance on drug trafficking charges. Gravano is being held apart from other inmates, while Espinosa is with the general population. A sheriff's spokeswoman said Espinosa would not be able to stalk Gravano. "Nobody's getting too close to Sammy the Bull," she said.