
Texas mother arrested, accused of buying ammo for son who planned "mass targeted violence," authorities say
A Texas mother was arrested this week on allegations she purchased ammunition and tactical gear for her son, who authorities said was planning "mass targeted violence" at a San Antonio school, according to an affidavit obtained by CBS News.
Ashley Pardo, 33, was arrested Monday on one count of aiding in the commission of terrorism after tactical gear and ammunition were found at her home, which authorities said she purchased for her son in exchange for babysitting his younger siblings, according to the arrest affidavit issued by Bexar County Magistrate Court.
Pardo "intentionally and knowingly aided" her son, San Antonio police wrote in the affidavit.
The situation unfolded in January, when school staff at Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio found a map of the school which had been allegedly drawn by the Pardo's son, who was not named in the affidavit.
The map was labeled "suicide route," with the name of the school and a rifle drawn above it, according to the affidavit. The boy told officials that he had a "fascination with past mass shooters, including their manifestos."
In April, the boy was suspended from school for using a school-issued computer to research the 2019 massacre on two mosques in Christchurch , New Zealand, according to the affidavit.
The boy was "subsequently suspended," and later in the day attempted suicide, the affidavit states. He attended an alternative school through May 7, and returned to his Jeremiah Rhodes on May 8.
On Monday, the boy's grandmother contacted police after the middle schooler told her that Pardo gave him guns and ammunition, according to the affidavit. The grandmother had found her grandson playing with a live bullet and a hammer the day prior, the documents read.
The grandmother told police that Pardo had taken her son to a surplus store and bought him tactical gear, including magazines, a tactical vest, a tactical helmet and army clothing.
"It has been expressed to the Defendant the concerns of her child's expression and desire to commit acts of mass violence," the affidavit stated about Pardo. "The Defendant expressed to the school her support of (her son's) violent expressions and drawings and does not feel concerned for his behavior."
The grandmother also found a homemade explosive device made from a mortar-style firework in the boy's bedroom, the affidavit said. Written on the device were the words "For Brenton Tarrant," the Australian white supremacist who carried out the Christchurch shootings which killed 51 people.
Multiple "SS" symbols and "14 words" were also written on the device, according to the affidavit, references to white supremacist ideology.
On Monday, before going to school, the boy told his grandmother that he was "going to be famous." He went to school "wearing a mask, camouflage jacket and tactical pants," but left shortly afterwards, the affidavit reads.
He was later detained off-campus, the school said in a note to parents.
"Please know we take all potential threats seriously and act immediately to protect everyone in our care," the school's principal said in the note.
Pardo was released from custody Tuesday after posting $75,000 bail, according to Bexar County court records. Her next hearing is scheduled for July 17.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.
For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
50 arrests, 600 non-lethal rounds fired: LAPD says they can handle the protests
50 arrests, 600 non-lethal rounds fired: LAPD says they can handle the protests LAPD says they have made 50 arrests and fired over non-lethal rounds to quell fraught protests. Charges against demonstrators include attempted murder with a Molotov cocktail. Show Caption Hide Caption Active-duty marines deployed for Los Angeles anti-ICE protests President Donald Trump is sending in active-duty Marines to assist law enforcement with immigration protests in Los Angeles, California. Officials at the Los Angeles Police Department said Monday that despite violent demonstrations, local police can handle whatever protesters throw at them and that additional federal help is unnecessary and could become a hindrance. 'The possible arrival of federal military forces in Los Angeles - absent clear coordination - presents a significant logistical and operational challenge for those of us charged with safeguarding this city,' Police Chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement. 'The Los Angeles Police Department, alongside our mutual aid partners, have decades of experience managing large-scale public demonstrations, and we remain confident in our ability to do so professionally and effectively.' McDonnell's statement comes amid the administration of President Donald Trump saying that the city is out of control. 'Due to increased threats to federal law enforcement officers and federal buildings, approximately 700 active-duty U.S. Marines . . . are being deployed to Los Angeles to restore order,' Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a post on X. 'We have an obligation to defend federal law enforcement officers - even if Gavin Newsom will not,' Hegseth said of the California governor. In addition to the 700 Marines, a Pentagon spokesperson said 2,000 National Guardsmen were ordered to Los Angeles. Trump already ordered 2,000 guardsmen to the city. LAPD has admitted that things have gotten hectic. Officers have fired over 600 non-lethal bullets and made 50 arrests. On Saturday, LAPD said 29 people were arrested for failing to follow orders to disperse. 21 people were arrested Sunday. Charges against them included attempted murder with a Molotov cocktail and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, LAPD said. Police said officers used tear gas on the 'hostile crowd' as well as over 600 rounds of non-lethal bullets. Among those hit was an Australian journalist covering the protests. But the office of Governor Gavin Newsom has said that Trump's move to put National Guardsmen and Marines in Los Angeles has provoked the worst of the unrest. Newsome announced Monday that an additional 800 state and local police officers would be deployed to Los Angeles to handle confrontations between protestors and national guardsmen that were sent in 'illegally,' according to the governor's office. Karen Bass, LA's mayor, backed Newsom: 'While Washington choreographed these chaotic events, the LAPD and local law enforcement continue to effectively respond.' At least five Los Angeles Police officers received minor injuries, according to LAPD. Five police horses also 'were targeted and sustained minor injuries.' Police said protest groups used handheld radios 'to coordinate and evade law enforcement.'


CBS News
4 hours ago
- CBS News
Protests in San Francisco denouncing California ICE raids held for second day
Protesters gather in SF Mission to rally against ICE raids in California Protesters gather in SF Mission to rally against ICE raids in California Protesters gather in SF Mission to rally against ICE raids in California Hundreds of protesters in San Francisco are marching in the Mission District to protest the ongoing ICE raids in California. The protest began at Mission and 24th around 6 p.m. "The people in our federal government, who are making decisions to put troops on the streets and to round up members of our community, need to see we are not with them and that we will stand against them," one protester told CBS News Bay Area. An earlier, separate rally was held at City Hall to speak out against President Donald Trump's travel ban and ICE raids. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has said he would protect the rights of residents to hold demonstrations, but that the city will "never tolerate violent and destructive behavior. The protest in the Mission comes just a day after 154 people were arrested Sunday night during demonstrations denouncing ICE raids. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said there were 400 people during the Sunday rally, which remained largely peaceful, but that as the number of protesters dwindled, some people on the streets vandalized Muni buses and smashed store windows. Nearly all the people arrested were released, San Francisco Interim Police Chief Paul Yep said, but some of them could face charges. There was a separate protest against ICE in San Jose, which was also a rally against the city's homeless policy. San Jose Police previously confirmed that ICE has conducted operations in the city. The Department said agents called them on June 3, saying they needed help due to protesters in the area. ICE, the following day, on June 4, also confirmed it had been conducting operations in San Jose.


CBS News
4 hours ago
- CBS News
Chicago sees a drop in auto thefts, but a new concern drives numbers up for certain vehicles
Most violent crime has been dropping this year in Chicago. The only exceptions are criminal sexual assault and human trafficking which are up 2.5% and 30% respectively according to the city's Violence Reduction Dashboard. The last 12 months have also seen fewer gun violence victims, fatal and non-fatal, than any year since 2013, according to the CBS News Gun Violence in Chicago tracker. Now, add a third bright spot to the Chicago crime chronicle. Motor vehicle thefts, overall, dropped 27% in 2024, according to a CBS News Chicago analysis of Chicago Police data. The trend continues this year. Through May 4, car thefts are down 35%. "We are trending in the right direction," said Chicago Police Commander Andrew Costello, who leads CPD's Central Intelligence Division — which includes auto theft cases. Costello knows the impact of this crime on the community. "We live in Chicago. We have families in Chicago. We, our families, have been victims of auto theft just like they have," he said. Police credit the variety of measures available to help recover stolen vehicles faster and drive the overall decrease. "The license plate reader technology has been a game changer, especially in Chicago. That has made our job much more efficient," said Lt. Adam Broshous, who leads the Illinois Statewide Auto Theft Task Force, or ISATT. So far this year, ISATT reports it has recovered 143 stolen cars. The team's work has led to 85 criminal charges, including 45 felonies. They have also recovered 16 guns. "We can, see where has this car been read by a license plate reader while it was stolen? And that may help lead us to who stole it, where it's been, and what it was used for," said Lt. Broshous. Chicago police are seeing an increase in the theft of different makes of vehicles. "A lot of the high-end cars getting targeted … Dodges and the Jeeps," said Cmdr. Costello. The CBS News Chicago data analysis reveals a 155% year-over-year increase in 2024 in the number of luxury Lexus vehicles being stolen. More than 400 were taken by thieves — the highest number in more than a decade. Jeeps are also becoming more popular, up 28% in 2024. The 1,700 stolen also represent the most in more than a decade. Dodge models are up 6%. More than 1,500 have been taken – similar to the number stolen in 2013 and 2016. Sport utility vehicle models of Jeeps and Dodges are especially targeted. "We have seen those being used in the commission of other crimes, be able to ram things and to steal ATMs," said Lt. Broshous. "We sometimes have the idea that people steal your car, it goes to a chop shop and it's divided up for parts. We are seeing something completely different. We're seeing those cars being used in robberies," said Glen Brooks, deputy director of community policing for CPD. "We're even seeing those cars used in other types of thefts." "Auto theft is like the gateway to larger thefts, to the robberies, carjackings, shootings," said Cmdr. Costello. The brakes are being put on the big problem of criminals stealing Kias and Hyundais. Those vehicles fueled the huge spike in 2023, when the city recorded 31,565 motor vehicle thefts. In 2024, that number dropped to 23,135 — helped primarily by a nearly 50% cut in Kia and Hyundai thefts last year. Both automakers told us they each updated security software on more than one million cars to address the flaw that led to the surge in thefts. Kia and Hyundai owners can check here and here to see if their vehicles qualify for a free security software upgrade. All you need is your VIN. While the downward trend is encouraging city and state law enforcement are not stopping efforts to bring motor vehicle thefts down even more. "We're out there every day," said Cmdr. Costello. "There's still a lot of work to be done." 2024 numbers are still 107% higher than in 2021, before the rash of stolen Kias and Hyundais. Beyond using technology like license plate readers and the new Chicago Police helicopters, educating the community is also a top priority that some believe can make a big difference. "If we can get to our young people, if we an make our property more secure, if we can work with our neighbors to make our neighborhoods better and safer that will lower the likelihood someone will come to perpetrate harm," said Brooks. NOTE: Motor vehicle theft numbers include theft, attempted theft and recovered stolen vehicles. KIA STATEMENT "As of May 12th, nearly 1.37 million vehicles have received Kia's software update, and over 400,000 steering wheel locks have been sent to law enforcement agencies around the country for distribution to local constituencies. As an update, were recently contacted by CPD for an additional shipment of wheel locks for your local communities, and they are working on distribution to those areas now." HYUNDAI STATEMENT "Hyundai's software upgrade campaign is at 68% completion for on road vehicles, representing more than 1.5 million vehicles. Hyundai is committed to continuing our efforts to assist our customers with this issue. Hyundai Motor America is committed to ensuring the quality and integrity of our products. A subset of Hyundai vehicles on the road in the U.S. today – primarily "base trim" or entry-level models – are not equipped with push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices. It is important to clarify that many of these vehicles are now eligible for free software upgrades or ignition cylinder protectors designed to prevent the popularized method of theft. Notices have been sent to registered owners and customers can check their vehicle eligibility by visiting: In response to thieves promoting their exploits on TikTok and other social media channels, Hyundai has taken comprehensive action to assist our customers, including: Made engine immobilizers standard on all vehicles produced as of November 2021; Developed a software upgrade to equip these vehicles with an "ignition kill" feature designed to prevent the popularized method of theft; Rolled out the free anti-theft software upgrade to all of the nearly 4 million vehicles involved through a service campaign to affected customers who own or lease model year 2011-2022 vehicles; Launched a dedicated website toll-free number (888) 498-0390 and digital advertising to generate awareness of the software upgrade, help customers determine their eligibility, and schedule an appointment at their local Hyundai dealership; Initiated a program to reimburse affected customers for their purchase of steering wheel locks, including for a smaller group of 2011-2022 model year vehicles that cannot accommodate the software upgrade (these vehicles are now eligible for ignition cylinder protectors at no cost); Established a program to provide free steering wheel locks to law enforcement agencies across the country for distribution to local residents who own or lease the affected vehicles; Collaborated with AAA insurers on a program to offer insurance options for affected owners and lessees. As part of this collaboration, AAA insurers will issue new and renewal policies for eligible affected Hyundai customers. The program will be available in all states except those where AAA does not offer insurance. (e.g., Alaska, Massachusetts, Washington); Piloted mobile service centers in Washington, D.C., St. Louis County, MO, Dallas, Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul, upstate New York and Baltimore with plans to replicate activities with our dealers in additional markets to further scale and speed installation of the software upgrade."