2 US Teenagers Plan to Hit Jews at Texas Synagogue Arrested

Illustration of Texas, USA. (Tyler Butler-Unsplash)

JAKARTA - At least two teenagers who plan to carry out an action to crash a car into a crowd of Jewish residents in front of a synagogue in Austin, Texas, were arrested.

A press release from the Houston Police Department, quoted by AP on Friday, April 24, stated that an unnamed 16-year-old teenager was arrested for allegedly being involved in a premeditated murder related to "threats directed at certain Jewish institutions in our area".

Meanwhile, another teenager, according to the Davidson County jail records, was also arrested on Wednesday and was secured on Thursday this week named Angelina Han Hicks, 18, from Lexington, North Carolina.

Hick, who is an American citizen, is accused of conspiring with a "man" to commit murder and assault against members of the Beth Israel congregation in Houston on April 21, 2028, according to the warrant, which contains two charges of crimes against him.

Separately, the FBI's Charlotte office also confirmed the arrest of a teenager in connection with the plot and was charged in Harris County, Houston, Texas.

Explaining why Hicks' detention was necessary, District Court Judge Carlton Terry explained it was to prevent the teenager's intentions.

The arrests of the two teenagers come a month after a gunman drove his pickup truck into a large synagogue in the Detroit area.

Synagogues around the world have increased security and protection for their congregants since the Israeli Prime Minister continued to spread threats to Middle Eastern citizens, culminating in a massive US and Israeli attack on Iran on February 28 in the midst of US-Iranian nuclear negotiations mediated by Oman.