Woman purposely crashed car into what she thought was a Jewish school, Indiana police say

A woman was arrested after intentionally driving her car into what she thought was a Jewish school in Indiana, authorities said.

Ruba Almaghtheh, 34, drove her Chevy Impala into the Israelite School of Universal and Practical Knowledge in Indianapolis at about 11:30 p.m. Friday, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. She was later arrested and faces a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness, according to jail records.

One adult, a 7-month-old baby, and three children under age 3 were inside the school when the crash occurred, according to court records. None were injured.

Investigators said she referred to the building as an "Israel school." But the structure is associated with Radical Hebrew Israelites, a group the Southern Poverty Law Center designated as an anti-Israel and antisemitic extremist organization.

The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office has yet to make a final charging decision in the case. A police report about the crash indicates investigators believe the crash was spurred by hatred.

A police report indicated investigators believe the crash was spurred by hatred. Officials notified the FBI of the crash, according to a news release.

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Suspect watched war coverage when she planned the crash, police say

Almaghtheh told police she watched TV news coverage of the Israel-Hamas war and decided to plan an attack by crashing into the Indianapolis building, according to an affidavit.

She told officers she was "watching the news and couldn’t breathe anymore,” according to a news release. “She referenced her people back in Palestine.”

Almaghtheh’s vehicle had rear-end damage and she admitted to crashing her vehicle on purpose into the building while speaking with her sister during her courtesy phone call after her arrest, according to the affidavit.

Police said the building had been purposely damaged several times in the past.

The Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council said there isn't a current threat to Indianapolis' Jewish community, but people should remain careful.

"Although a Jewish facility was not targeted, solely due to ironic misidentification, this is yet another reminder to maintain security protocols, remain vigilant of suspicious activity and to report same promptly to the appropriate authorities," a statement from the Jewish Community Relations Council reads.

Surge of hate crimes targeting Jewish and Muslim people

Since the Israel-Hamas war began, several incidents of alleged hate directed at Palestinian Americans, allies and people who look like them have occurred across the U.S. Nonprofit civil rights organizations like CAIR-Chicago reported an influx of calls since the start of the war from victims of hate crimes.

In October, a six-year-old Palestinian American Muslim boy in Illinois was stabbed to death and his mother was seriously injured by their landlord in what authorities said was a hate crime motivated by the war.

In New York City, a person approached a Sikh teen wearing a turban on a bus and said, “We don’t wear that in this country and take that mask off.” The suspect then punched the 19-year-old in the back of his head, face and back multiple times, police said. He also tried to forcibly remove his turban, before fleeing on foot.

On Oct. 16, the FBI released statistics on hate crimes in the U.S., showing a rise 25% of Antisemitic incidents between 2021 and 2022.

In a statement, President Joe Biden said he has prioritized the safety of Jewish, Muslim, Arab American and other communities in the wake of the conflict overseas.

Battle against hate: Violence, bigotry toward Palestinian Americans spiking across US

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Woman crashed car into what she thought was a Jewish school: Police