HOUSTON — Two Montgomery County residents have been indicted in connection with the November 2023 firebombing of the Huyen Trang Buddhist Meditation Center, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The video above is from a report in January 2024 of a reward being offered for information leading to an arrest.
Who was charged
Officials say 28-year-old Austin Willard Tanton and 31-year-old Kayla Lynn Thompson face charges of conspiracy to commit malicious use of explosive materials and using explosive materials in the commission of a felony.
Tanton is also charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device. Both are expected to make their initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Ho at 2 p.m.
What prosecutors allege happened
According to the indictment, Tanton allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail through a temple window on Nov. 15, 2023, starting a fire that damaged a rug and flooring inside…