Two people arrested after North Texas ICE detention facility attack helped Benjamin Song avoid capture, court documents say
New court documents allege that a man wanted for shooting a North Texas police officer had help hiding from authorities for more than a week.
Police say Benjamin Hanil Song shot an AR-style rifle at three law enforcement officers, injuring one of them, during an alleged ambush at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado late on July 4. The facility, south of Fort Worth, is being used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants.
Song was able to evade law enforcement until he was arrested on July 15 at an apartment complex in North Dallas.
On Thursday, Federal prosecutors revealed the arrests of John Phillip Thomas and Lynette Sharp for allegedly helping Song avoid capture.
According to the complaint filed in federal court, Thomas picked up Song from the area around the Prairieland Detention Center on the night of July 5. Authorities said Song hid in nearby woods until he was picked up.
After initially denying he knew Song, police said Thomas admitted the two were roommates until last month. Police said Thomas also admitted to buying clothes for Song on July 6.
The next day, police said Sharp helped arrange transportation for Song from where Thomas was staying to another location.
Court papers say Song, Thomas and Sharp were all members of group chats on the secure Signal app, on which the group allegedly discussed plans for the ambush on the Prairieland Detention Center.
Thomas was arrested on July 10 and is currently in the Johnson County Jail, with a $500,000 bond. Sharp was arrested on July 13 and is in jail with a $250,000 bond.
