SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A woman faces a terrorism charge after allegedly providing her 13-year-old son with materials used in an alleged plot to carry out mass violence against a local middle school, according to arrest documents released this week.
Ashley Pardo, 33, was arrested Monday following an investigation into threats made by her son, a student at Rhodes Middle School in the San Antonio Independent School District. The case comes after authorities said the student demonstrated a fascination with prior mass shooters and was found in possession of ammunition, tactical gear, and a makeshift explosive device, reports KENS.
Pardo’s Son Had Long List of Behavioral Concerns
According to the arrest affidavit, the investigation began in January, when a San Antonio Police Department detective contacted the student after school staff reported “concerning drawings” depicting Rhodes Middle School. The materials included a campus map labeled “suicide route,” the school’s name ornamented with a muzzle flash, and notations of specific times.
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Further incidents escalated concerns. Authorities stated that in April the student was suspended for using a school-issued computer to research the 2019 New Zealand mosque shooting that resulted in the deaths of 51 people. The same day, the student attempted suicide, according to the affidavit, sustaining injuries that required more than 100 stitches, reports ABC News. The student was temporarily placed in an alternative school before returning to Rhodes last week, at which point officials implemented a security plan over ongoing concerns.
The affidavit revealed that the student, due to ongoing behavioral concerns, had been staying periodically at his grandmother’s residence. On Monday, the grandmother contacted law enforcement after discovering ammunition and a makeshift explosive device in her home. She reported finding the boy striking a live bullet with a hammer and stopped him. She also found loaded magazines, a tactical vest, military clothing, and an explosive fashioned from a mortar-style firework wrapped in duct tape, believed to be altered to increase its explosive potential.
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Mother Bought Ammunition, Ballistic Vest and Tactical Helmet for Son
The student told detectives he obtained the ammunition and tactical gear from his mother. The affidavit stated that Pardo purchased items such as magazines, a ballistic vest, tactical helmet, and army clothing, reportedly in exchange for the boy babysitting his siblings.
Authorities reported that, on the morning before one school day, the student referenced “14 words” — an expression associated with white supremacist ideology — in conversation with his grandmother and declared intent to “be famous.” The student was detained off-campus and faces a charge of terrorism.
Authorities Say Pardo Was Aware of Son’s Threats
Investigators allege that Pardo was made aware of her son’s threats and violent interests and maintained regular contact with law enforcement, Child Protective Services, and school officials. Despite this, detectives stated that Pardo “expressed to the school her support” of her son’s violent inclinations and displayed no concern regarding his behavior, according to the affidavit.
Pardo is accused of facilitating her son’s plot by providing or acquiring key items allegedly intended for use in mass violence. She was charged with aiding in the commission of terrorism and released from jail on a $75,000 bond.
The investigation remains ongoing.
