Dallas Jihad Girls Update: they deny everything. “Woman scrutinized at airports now facing weapons charge,” by Holly Yan and Rebecca Lopez for The Dallas Morning News (thanks to Jay S.):
Two women who have been the subject of police scrutiny because of their activities at area airports had materials in their home that could be fashioned into explosive devices, officials say.
A pipe that had been fashioned into an illegal firearm was among the items fire officials seized from the Arlington home shared by Kimberly “Asma” Al-Homsi and Aisha Hamad, authorities said. Other items included black powder, shotgun shells, pipes and putty.
Ms. Al-Homsi “was putting different items together to make what appears to be illegal explosive devices,” Arlington Assistant Fire Marshal Stephen Lea said. “They’ve got the components, but whether they’d function we don’t know at this point.”
Ms. Al-Homsi was arrested Monday on suspicion of possessing a prohibited weapon after police were involved in a standoff with Ms. Hamad at the house. But Ms. Al-Homsi, who has posted $3,000 bail, said the accusations are unfounded.
“They took my backpack and my bicycle bag … and blew it up,” she said. “There were no explosive materials inside of those bags or anywhere inside the house.”
She said she’s sick of being mistreated by law enforcement officials.
“I’m not a bad person, but they’re trying to make me look like this vicious, evil person who wants to do harm,” she said.
[…]
Police spokeswoman Christy Gilfour said officers searched the house on Wembley Road to make sure no one else was inside and notified the fire department after finding something suspicious.
“There was a pipe fashioned into an illegal firearm,” Mr. Lea said. “People will take a pipe and make it where a bullet can fit in one end and a firing pin will cause the bullet to go off.”
Mr. Lea said Tuesday that it was still unclear whether the items could actually function as explosive devices, but “just because they don’t function doesn’t mean they’re not illegal devices.”
Ms. Al-Homsi said the allegations are ridiculous.
“What prohibited weapon? There was nothing taken from this house that was a prohibited weapon,” Ms. Al-Homsi said.