Photo: Nicole Mastrogiannis
A woman who police described as a "terrorist" admitted to purposely backing her vehicle into a building she suspected to be a Jewish school.
Ruba Almaghtheh, 34, was arrested on a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness last Friday (November 3) night, according to an Indianapolis Police Department reported obtained by FOX 59. Officers received a report at around 11:30 p.m. and found Almaghtheh had backed her car into the building while several adults and children were inside.
Almaghtheh told officers she had watched news coverage of the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas and was offended by the "Hebrew Israelite" symbol in front of it, which she referred to as an "Israel school" that she had passed by multiple times prior to the incident.
Police said she also mentioned "her people back in Palestine" and admitted, "I did it on purpose" when questioned by police. The building is, however, considered to be used by an "extreme and antisemitic" sect of the Black Hebrew Israelites, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis reported that Safe Indiana, a local Jewish community security program, was made aware of the incident and is working alongside local authorities during an ongoing investigation.
“Safety and security for our community is of the utmost importance, and we are more secure and prepared than ever before,” the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis officials wrote in a press release obtained by FOX 59. “Although a Jewish facility was not targeted, solely due to ironic misidentification, this is yet another reminder to maintain security protocols, remain vigilant of suspicious activity and to (report promptly) to the appropriate authorities.”
At least 1,400 people, including dozens of American citizens, were killed and more than 3,400 were injured in the initial terror attacks on Israel by Hamas on October 7, MSNBC reported. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, "we are in a war," in a video shared on social media after the attacks, which included land, air and sea as Hamas fighters infiltrated Israel's southern border and fired rockets from the Gaza Strip.
More than 10,000 people are reported to have died in retaliation attacks on Gaza, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Monday (November 6) via the Associated Press.