Overview
- On Nov. 15, 2023 a Molotov cocktail was thrown through a window of the Huyen Trang Buddhist Meditation Center, causing fire and smoke damage that forced a temporary closure while monks extinguished the blaze.
- Federal agents previously charged Kayla Thompson and Austin Tanton after surveillance footage, witness interviews, Facebook messages, cell-tower data and call records linked them to the attack.
- A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment on Sept. 9, 2026 and FBI Houston Civil Rights agents arrested Gertrude “Trudy” Thompson on Sept. 14, 2026 to join the case on counts of conspiracy to commit arson, use of an explosive in a federal felony, and arson.
- Court testimony by an FBI agent said Tanton was paid $11,000 to carry out the attack, but investigators have not identified who provided that money and Trudy Thompson’s specific role remains under review.
- Prosecutors will bring the defendants into federal court for initial appearances and discovery as the Civil Rights unit continues to probe motive, financing and each defendant’s conduct.