A North Carolina woman and a juvenile in Harris County have been arrested and charged with crimes for allegedly plotting to "kill as many Jews as possible" by driving a vehicle through the Congregation Beth Israel in Houston, according to court documents and the FBI.
Angelina Hicks, 18, was arrested in Davidson County, North Carolina, on Wednesday and has been charged with felony conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon, according to jail records. As of Thursday, Hicks was being held in the Davidson County Jail on a $10 million bond.
The Houston Police Department (HPD) confirmed in a Thursday statement that a 16-year-old had been charged in Harris County with conspiracy to commit capital murder in connection with the alleged plot. HPD said the Alief ISD Police Department assisted in the arrest.
“At this time there is no other known credible threat,” HPD said in its statement.
According to court documents, Hicks is accused of planning an attack against the Congregation Beth Israel on April 21, 2028. Court documents describe the alleged plot as a conspiracy “to kill as many Jews as possible by driving through a congregation at a synagogue."
Hicks is also accused in court documents of having planned the attack with two other co-conspirators referred to as “Teegan” and “Angel.” The last names of alleged co-conspirators were not known as of Thursday, and it was not immediately clear if the juvenile charged in Harris County is one of the alleged co-conspirators mentioned in court documents.In a news release, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office said other alleged co-conspirators had been identified outside of North Carolina.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office in North Carolina said it began investigating Hicks on Tuesday after it received a tip that Hicks was “believed to be targeting members of the Jewish community for [a] potential act of violence.”
“A fast-moving, multistate FBI investigation led to the arrests of one adult and one juvenile accused of planning an attack at a Jewish Day School in Houston, Texas,” the Charlotte FBI office said in a statement. “The joint FBI multistate investigation is ongoing.”
On Wednesday afternoon, the Congregation Beth Israel — the oldest Jewish congregation in Texas — sent a statement to its members saying it had closed for the day based on the guidance of the Houston Police Department and would reopen on Thursday. The statement also said The Shlenker School — an elementary school associated with the congregation — was also closed.
"We are grateful for local law enforcement and for the support of our local and national security partners throughout the day," Rabbi David Lyon said in a statement. "We appreciate your patience, flexibility, and care for one another as we worked through this situation with diligence and thoughtfulness."
Hicks’ defense attorney was not immediately available for comment Thursday.
Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider contributed to this report.
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