Terrorism charges added to woman accused of setting GOP headquarters on fire

May 5, 2026 Shazo

A Texas woman has been slapped with terrorism charges after she allegedly set fire to a local GOP headquarters.

New Braunfels resident Grace Carol was slapped with state-level terrorism charges after a small fire was started at the Comal County Republican Party headquarters in January.

A grand jury handed down the indictment to the 22-year-old nearly two weeks ago, signifying more serious charges following her arrest in January.

The first-degree felony charge could land Carol up to 15

years behind bars.

Brown was initially charged with felony arson and burglary charges when she was arrested.

The charges stem from an incident on January 14, when city employees arrived at the GOP headquarters and found an exterior window was broken, and the remnants of a small fire.

The fire resulted in no injuries and caused minor property damage.

Following the fire, police executed a search warrant and arrested Brown on January 22, with a bond set at $200,000. Police coordinated with the New Braunfels Fire Marshal’s Office and the FBI’s Computer Analysis Response Team.

The felony terrorism charge stems from a 2023 Texas law, S.B. 1518, which defines terrorism as conduct intended to intimidate or coerce the public or a specific group.

Anita Valdez, chair of the Comal County Republican Party, condemned the incident, calling it “horrifying,” and added that it was a “clearly political attack.”

The investigation remains active.

The alleged arson incident comes as police are searching for a man who set fire to a Walmart before robbing the store.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal in Cecil County, Maryland, issued a request for help identifying the suspect in the Walmart arson and robbery. The investigators said 911 operators received calls of a fire at a store at 1000 E. Pulaski Highway in Elkton on April 29, around 7 p.m.

The suspect set the fire to a shelf of boys’ clothing, the Office of the State Fire Marshal said. Deputy State Fire Marshals concluded that the fire was set as a diversion, and the suspect stole several items before leaving the store.

Employees and customers were immediately evacuated. During the chaos, the suspect forced entry into the jewelry counter and stole a small amount of merchandise.

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