Fort Worth teen arrested in arson case also linked to school threats, extremist organization
Teen arrested in Fort Worth car arson investigation
Fort Worth fire and police investigators say the arsonist who was terrorizing South Fort Worth is now off the street.
FORT WORTH, Texas - A man charged in several arson incidents in Fort Worth has been linked to threatening social media videos targeting Crowley Middle School.
Evan Banda
Additional charges
What we know:
17-year-old Evan Banda was arrested on Jan. 8 and charged with multiple counts of arson.
He is now being charged with more after being linked to an extremist hate organization.
The Fort Worth Police Department has determined Banda is responsible for several threatening videos that circulated on social media last week.
In one of the videos, a figure in a hockey mask is seen delivering explicit threats, including threats of mass violence and indiscriminate killing.
Footage of Crowley Middle School is seen in another video.
Fort Worth PD and the Fort Worth Arson Unit determined the threatening videos were linked to multiple arson cases on the south side of Fort Worth.
This led to Banda’s arrest, and through further investigation revealed Banda acted in support of extremist ideologies.
Teen arrested after string of holiday vehicle arsons in Fort Worth
Fort Worth fire and police investigators say the arsonist who was terrorizing South Fort Worth is now off the street. Among the charges, he is accused of terroristic threat and possession of child pornography.
Multiple arson incidents
These new links are on top of the multiple counts of arson, terroristic threat and terrorism charges, and possession of child pornography he's already been charged with.
Police say Banda is responsible for five car fires between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve in 2025.
The bond for Banda is set at $1.9 million. He is set to be tried as an adult even though he is 17.
The Source: Information from this article came from Fort Worth police and previous FOX 4 reporting.