INDIANAPOLIS — The Marion County Prosecutor's Office has filed formal charges against a woman from Indianapolis after she allegedly drove her car into a building on the near northeast side of Indianapolis that has a Star of David on the front door.
Ruba Almaghtheh, 34, of Indianapolis, is charged with intimidation, criminal recklessness and institutional criminal mischief.
Almaghtheh had her initial court hearing Wednesday morning, with a bail review hearing scheduled for Nov. 17. Her bond is set at $200,000.
"The allegations in the probable cause affidavit are extremely disturbing. We cannot and will not tolerate hate in our community,” Prosecutor Ryan Mears said. "We recognize that entire communities have been impacted by the alleged actions of the defendant, and we will continue to support them throughout the criminal justice process."
(NOTE: The video above is from a VERIFY report on fact-checking videos and reports on the Israel-Hamas conflict.)
IMPD officers responded to a report of a car hitting a building Friday, Nov. 3 around 11:30 p.m. in the 3500 block of North Keystone Avenue, near East 35th Street.
Prosecutors said two adults and three children were inside the Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge during the incident, but nobody was injured.
Damage to the building is estimated to be $10,000, according to court documents.
Officers arrived and spoke with the driver, later identified as identified as Almaghtheh.
Almaghtheh allegedly told police she has been watching the news and couldn't breathe anymore, referencing people she knew in Palestine as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues.
According to IMPD, Almaghtheh said she passed the building a couple of times and saw the "Israel school" and then said, "Yes, I did it on purpose."
Police arrested Almaghtheh on a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness.
According to court documents, Almaghtheh verbally and openly admitted to committing the hate crime on her courtesy phone call from inside the jail.
IMPD has also notified the FBI.
Prosecutors asked the judge to issue a stay away order if Almaghtheh is released on bond, requesting she not be allowed near the Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge, and all synagogues, temples, and other Jewish religious and cultural centers in Marion County.
According to the prosecutor's office, Indiana does not currently have a hate crime criminal charge. In 2019, the hate crime legislation that was passed serves as a criminal sentencing enhancement.
According to the Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council, the building is believed to belong to a sect of the Black Hebrew Israelites, a group designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The IJCRC said the driver allegedly believed the Star of David on the front door represented Israel in some way.
The IJCRC released the following statement after the incident:
"The threat level for our community has not increased. Safe Indiana, our Jewish community security program, was immediately notified, and has been working alongside law enforcement on this incident. Safety and security for our community is of the utmost importance, and we are more secure and prepared than ever before. 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 same promptly to the appropriate authorities. More information on the Safe Indiana program, the security plan for our community, and the incident report form can be found by visiting https://www.jewishindianapolis.org/safe-indiana."