An 18-year-old woman is being held on a $10 million bond after authorities alleged she conspired with two men to attack a Texas synagogue and “kill as many Jews as possible," ABC News reported Thursday, citing court records.
The suspect, a resident of Lexington, North Carolina, faces charges of felony conspiracy to commit murder and felony conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon, court documents show.
She is accused of plotting with two unidentified men, referred to in records as “Angel" and “Teegan," to target Congregation Beth Israel, a Reform synagogue in Houston, Texas.
“The conspiracy is to kill as many jews as possible by driving through a congregation at the synagogue," North Carolina prosecutors alleged in court documents.
Officials say the alleged attack was planned for 2028. The two alleged co-conspirators have not been arrested and remain unidentified.
The woman was arrested Wednesday in North Carolina and appeared later that day in Davidson County District Court in Lexington. A judge set bond at $10 million, citing the risk posed by the two alleged co-conspirators remaining at large.
“Allowing a co-conspirator a chance to communicate with either of those individuals or those who could relay a message puts lives at risk," the judge wrote in his order, according to court documents.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post that the FBI received a tip Tuesday about “an individual out of Lexington, North Carolina was planning a mass casualty event at a Jewish Day School near Houston, Texas."
The Shlenker School, a preschool and elementary institution, is affiliated with Congregation Beth Israel and located on its campus.
Patel said FBI offices in Charlotte and Houston worked with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office to arrest the suspect, adding that the rapid response “likely saved lives." The investigation remains ongoing.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston said it has been in contact with Congregation Beth Israel, The Shlenker School, and law enforcement regarding the alleged threats.
The congregation closed its campus Wednesday “out of an abundance of caution."
The suspect is scheduled to appear in court again on May 13 in North Carolina.