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Boulder attack suspect's family cooperating in probe but could be deported soon
Boulder attack suspect's family cooperating in probe but could be deported soon
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Family of man suspected of Boulder attacker detained by ICE
ICE agents detained the wife and children of the man suspected of a fiery attack on pro-Israeli marchers in Boulder, Colorado.
Mohamed Soliman faces a "return of filing" hearing in a Boulder County courtroom where charges will be formally filed in the June 1 assault.
Soliman came to the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2022 and stayed after the visa expired, requesting asylum, Homeland Security officials said.
By the time Mohamed Sabry Soliman appears before a Colorado judge June 5 to hear the raft of charges he could face, his wife and children may have been ushered out of the country.
Soliman, 45, faces a "return of filing" hearing in Boulder County Courtroom CJ where charges will be formally filed related to a June 1 attack at a pro-Israel rally. Those charges could include 16 counts of attempted murder, 18 counts of possession of incendiary devices and related offenses, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said. The attempted-murder counts alone are punishable by up to 384 years in prison, he said.
The Egyptian-born Colorado Springs resident also faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty on a federal hate crime charge.
Soliman told investigators he planned the attack for a year and waited until after his daughter graduated from high school, according to court documents. She graduated May 29, but his timing may provide little solace for the family − his wife and five children were taken into custody June 3 by Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
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Soliman, a native of Egypt who lives in Colorado Springs, is accused of flinging Molotov Cocktails at a weekly "Run for Their Lives" demonstration June 1. Twelve people ages 52 to 88 suffered burns ranging from serious to minor, police said. Two remain hospitalized Tuesday.
He came to the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2022 and stayed after the visa expired, requesting asylum, Homeland Security officials said.
"Today, DHS and ICE are taking the family of suspected Boulder, Colorado, terrorist, and illegal alien, Mohamed Soliman, into ICE custody," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on X. "This terrorist will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it."
FBI and police officials said the family has cooperated with investigators. That may not be enough to allow them to stay in the U.S.
The White House posted a message June 3 detailing the family's likely fate: "Six One-Way Tickets for Mohamed's Wife and Five Kids. Final Boarding Call Coming Soon." The post indicated the deportatin could happen as soon as that night, although as of early June 4 there was no confirmation deportation took place.
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