AUSTIN, Texas — An 18-year-old man arrested in the Oct. 31 arson at Congregation Beth Israel is now facing federal charges. He attended his detention hearing on Wednesday.
Franklin Barrett Sechriest, a member of the Texas State Guard and student at Texas State University in San Marcos, was ordered to remain in detention following the hearing on Dec. 15.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Lane cited a few reasons as to why Sechriest should remain in detention, including the arson charges themselves and his "history and characteristics, specifically his mental health history."
"The Defendant suffers from a myriad of mental health issues and concerns. These concerns have dramatically escalated over the past several years," Lane wrote in the detention order. "That escalation has centered on hatred for other people, an ever-increasing escalation of criminal behavior and a passion for firearms and weapons."
Sechriest was reportedly evaluated by a physician for his mental health in 2016. That physician noted the teenager should not have access to firearms. However, his parents allowed him to "acquire a small arsenal."
"The Defendant needs mental health treatment," Lane wrote, noting beforehand that his parents had failed to get Sechriest that treatment.
Land added that he would consider "any option or plan for the treatment of Defendant’s mental health that incorporates long-term treatment in a locked-down facility."
Sechriest waived his right to a preliminary hearing.
The night of the fire, Sechriest wrote "scout a target" on Oct. 31, according to an affidavit filed by the FBI. That evening, his Jeep SUV was seen in the parking lot of the synagogue shortly before the fire is seen on security video, the affidavit said.
In the following days, he wrote in his journal "I set a synagogue on fire" and that he became worried when authorities announced that they were hopeful they would find a suspect, according to excerpts in the affidavit.
Austin fire investigators have also charged him with arson in state district court in Travis County.
Since the fire, almost half a million dollars in donations have been made to Congregation Beth Israel after the synagogue opened a portal on its website to accept online donations. Approximately $498,000 in donations have come from Texans and even from other parts of the world, the congregation told members in a newsletter sent on Dec. 8. KVUE previously reported that damage estimates were about $150,000.
For more background on this case, click here.
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