Mesa teen accused of terrorist threats, plotting mass shooting

Mesa police arrested Damien Bedonie on Oct. 6, and he was being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.

Maricopa County prosecutors filed to seal charging documents that described the probable cause of his arrest. Ashley Stetson, a county prosecutor, told Judge Adithya Bala at an Oct. 6 hearing that it was to protect the integrity of the “simultaneous investigations” that were ongoing.

Stetson went into further detail at Bedonie’s initial court appearance while stating her reasons for the bond request. She said he was “incel adjacent” and attempted to acquire weapons.

She told the judge that a search warrant showed evidence that Bedonie researched the Paris 2015 shooting using terms like “how they were coordinated and executed.” It also showed that he searched the Boston Marathon bombing and the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting, Stetson told Bala.

Bedonie Googled how to purchase weapons for a certain amount of money, she said.

He also expressed “deep-seated hatred toward specific groups” and had conversations about harming those specific groups, Stetson said at the hearing. She did not indicate which community or group, but stated it was outlined in the sealed charging document.

She stated that his web search history showed Bedonie was “putting those thoughts into motion.” He also searched for weapons and tactical gear, Stetson said.

Authorities did not say when Bedonie had conducted the research and planned an attack.

Bedonie was on “a trajectory for a mass violence,” and there was “a great concern for the community at large” if he was released, Stetson said.

Bedonie was being held in a Maricopa County jail and is due back in court on Oct. 12.