Federal and local authorities have arrested two young people—an 18-year-old woman from North Carolina and a 16-year-old from Texas—accused of plotting to attack a Houston synagogue by driving a vehicle through the congregation with the intent to kill as many Jewish worshippers as possible, according to court documents and law enforcement statements.
Angelina Han Hicks, of Lexington, North Carolina, was taken into custody Wednesday and is being held in the Davidson County jail on a $10 million bond. She faces two felony counts of conspiracy to commit murder and assault against members of Congregation Beth Israel in Houston. The alleged plot was set for April 21, 2028, but authorities expressed concern about an imminent threat, prompting swift action.
Investigation Triggered by Tip
The FBI’s Charlotte Joint Terrorism Task Force launched the investigation Tuesday evening after receiving a tip from a North Carolina law enforcement agency. The probe led to the arrest of a juvenile in Harris County, Texas, who was charged with conspiracy to commit capital murder. Houston police, the FBI, and the Houston school district police department collaborated on the arrest.
In a detention order, District Court Judge Carlton Terry wrote that the conspiracy aimed to “kill as many Jews as possible by driving through a congregation at a synagogue.” He added that allowing any co-conspirator to communicate with others could put lives at risk, justifying the high bond.
Context of Rising Threats
The arrests come amid a spike in attacks on Jewish institutions. Last month, Ayman Ghazali crashed his pickup truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, in an attack that left a security guard injured before Ghazali fatally shot himself. Ghazali, a Lebanese-born U.S. citizen, had learned four family members were killed in an Israeli airstrike days earlier. Synagogues globally have bolstered security since the U.S. and Israel launched a war with Iran on Feb. 28.
Congregation Beth Israel, the oldest Jewish house of worship in Texas, founded in the 1850s, also operates a school through fifth grade. The FBI’s Charlotte office mentioned the alleged plot targeted a Jewish school. The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston confirmed the synagogue closed Wednesday “out of an abundance of caution” and reopened Thursday.
Legal Proceedings and Defense
Hicks’ court-appointed attorney, Chad Freeman, told the Houston Chronicle the case is in early stages and her youth may factor into her defense. “I anticipate getting numerous experts involved in the case to look at both investigatory and possible forensic matters,” Freeman said. Her next hearing is scheduled for May 13. The motive for the alleged plot remains undisclosed in North Carolina court documents.
Houston police stated there is no other known credible threat at this time. The investigation is ongoing. For context, similar conspiracies have emerged recently, such as the case of an ex-North Carolina officer arrested in Florida for allegedly plotting a mass shooting at a New Orleans festival, highlighting persistent domestic extremism threats.
The arrests also follow heightened tensions after the Trump administration extended a ceasefire with Iran despite an IRGC attack, signaling a strategic shift that some analysts say has emboldened extremist rhetoric. However, no direct link to this incident has been established.
