Attorney Claims Lack of Detail in Case Against Teen Accused in Mosque Attack

The attorney for a North Carolina teenager accused of aiding two other youths in a fatal attack on a San Diego mosque contends that prosecutors have not supplied adequate details to build a defense. Sarah Santiago, 17, faces charges as an adult, including three counts of murder by aiding and abetting and one count of conspiracy.

Prosecutors allege that Santiago assisted California teenagers Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez, who fatally shot three individuals at the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 18 before taking their own lives. According to North Carolina prosecutors, Santiago is accused of agreeing in advance to record and distribute a livestream of the attack and to disseminate the shooters' white-supremacist writings. She is also alleged to have purchased a patch with a white-supremacist symbol and sent it to one of the gunmen to wear during the assault.

However, Santiago's attorney, Alan Doorasamy, stated during a court hearing that prosecutors have not yet provided information on how or when Santiago allegedly communicated with the shooters, nor details about the purported agreement to record and distribute the livestream. Doorasamy submitted a formal request for this information, known as a "bill of particulars," on Friday. A hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday to address the motion, which seeks to clarify the allegations against Santiago rather than compel the disclosure of evidence.

The Forsyth County District Attorney's Office has not yet responded to the request and did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment. "She needs to know why she was arrested," Doorasamy told The Associated Press outside the courthouse. "She's a child. Of course she's very scared and she's worried, but she's done nothing wrong."

Santiago was arrested late last month and is being held without bail. Under North Carolina law, convictions for aiding and abetting can carry penalties equivalent to those for committing the primary offense.

Clark, 17, and Vazquez, 18, attacked the Islamic Center on May 18. A security guard exchanged gunfire with them as he initiated a lockdown, which authorities believe helped protect approximately 140 children present at the time. The guard, Amin Abdullah, and two other men were killed before the perpetrators died by suicide in a nearby vehicle. Authorities found writings from the pair expressing animosity towards various groups and referencing the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand as an inspiration.

Clark and Vazquez had also reportedly planned further attacks targeting a Jewish temple and Black students at a high school. Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill credited the mosque guard and other victims with preventing more casualties.

The family of Caleb Vazquez released a statement indicating that he was on the autism spectrum and had expressed resentment about aspects of his identity. They suggested that these factors, combined with exposure to hateful rhetoric online, may have contributed to his radicalization.