A mother from Texas was recently taken into custody after authorities accused her of purchasing tactical equipment and bullets for her 13-year-old son. The boy had been charged with terrorism for purportedly orchestrating a potential school shooting.
The woman, Ashley Pardo, aged 33, faces the allegation of assisting in carrying out terrorist activities. It’s claimed she did this in return for her son looking after his younger siblings, as outlined by MSN.
According to San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, Child Protective Services alerted the police about the teenager in October last year. This was prompted by observations of concerning behavior that raised suspicions of possible violent intentions, as reported by KSAT.
“They noticed things of that nature when dealing with the family, and they reported it to us,” he said.
By January, the boy was found in school “drawing violent pictures,” the chief said, which included a map of the campus labeled “suicide route” and time stamps on the drawing.
“From this point on, police continuously met with the juvenile and his family, offering them to connect the family with resources and services,” McManus said.
The boy was supended from school in April after he was discovered researching a New Zealand mass shooting on a school computer. According to his arrest affidavit, he “described a fascination with past mass shooters.” On the day he was suspended, he attempted suicide.
On May 8, his suspension ended and he returned to the campus of Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School, which increased security while police remained on contact with the family.
Three days later, the boy was seen hitting a live bullet with a hammer at a relative’s home, and told the relative his mother had bought him the ammunition and tactical gear. The family member contacted police on Monday upon finding loaded magazines and a homemade bomb.
That same day, the teen arrived at school in a mask and “wearing a mask, camouflage jacket and tactical pants but left shortly after.” The school added more security, and police swept the campus for any devices.
Later that day, a witness implicated the teen’s mother in the son’s activities. According to an affidavit for her arrest, Pardo bought tactical gear, ammunition, and magazines “with knowledge” that they would be “used to plan and carry out” a crime.
McManus told reporters on Thursday that Pardo “appeared to be dismissive and unconcerned with her son’s behavior” as police investigated.
“Her behavior is not only dangerous, it‘s abhorrent, especially as a parent,” he said.
McManus also said that the family member who reported finding a rifle, ammunition, tactical gear, and the homemade bomb in the teen’s possession also found that some of the items were inscribed with “14 words” and “SS” symbols, references to white supremacy and previous mass shootings.
“There were some … indications that there were Nazi swastikas and things like that that were found in the home,” he said. “I’ll tell you one thing, there were some very disturbing things that were found inside the mother‘s house, that child’s house, which also kind of was an indication to us that we needed to move very quickly.”
The teen appeared in juvenile court on Tuesday and will appear again later this month, KSAT reported. Pardo was a given a $75,000 bond with conditions that include full house arrest, a GPS monitor, and prohibition from possessing incendiary devices.
