• 18-year-old Angelina Han Hicks of Lexington, North Carolina, arrested and held on $10 million bond.
• Charged with felony conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon and felony conspiracy to commit murder.
• Allegedly plotted with two unidentified co-conspirators to drive through Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Houston to “kill as many Jews as possible.”
• FBI Director Kash Patel credited swift action by agents that likely saved lives.
• Hicks’ father calls charges “fabricated” and “way over the top.”
• Synagogue closed out of caution following the tip.
Lexington, North Carolina — An 18-year-old North Carolina woman is being held on a $10 million bond after authorities say she was conspiring to attack a synagogue in Houston, Texas.
Angelina Han Hicks, of Lexington, was arrested Wednesday by the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and FBI special agents. She faces charges of felony conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon to kill or commit serious injury, and felony conspiracy to commit murder.
Court records indicate Hicks plotted with two men known only as “Teegan” and “Angel” to attack Congregation Beth Israel synagogue. The co-conspirators have not been identified or arrested. Prosecutors alleged the plan was “to kill as many Jews as possible by driving through a congregation at the synagogue.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau received a tip Tuesday about an individual from Lexington planning a mass casualty event at a Jewish Day School near Houston. He praised the quick response by FBI field offices in Charlotte and Houston, along with local authorities, saying it “likely saved lives.”
Hicks made her first court appearance Wednesday and is scheduled to appear in Davidson County District Court on May 12.
Her father, who did not give his name, told a local station the charges are “fabricated” and “way over the top.” He described his daughter as “a good kid” who is in school and set to graduate in two weeks, adding that she is “no threat to anyone other than being a fantasy video player.”
The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston noted that Beth Israel closed Wednesday out of an abundance of caution, stating that the safety and security of the Houston Jewish community remains of utmost importance.
Authorities continue to investigate the alleged plot, with the two co-conspirators still at large. The case underscores ongoing concerns about threats targeting Jewish communities, coming weeks after a separate incident at a Michigan synagogue.