Woman taken into custody following Islamic Center of San Diego lockdown

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The Islamic Center of San Diego was placed under lockdown Tuesday after woman who may have been experiencing a mental health crisis arrived to the center, but police assured there was never a direct threat, the the San Diego Police Department said.

On Wednesday morning, SDPD said the woman, who has not been identified, was taken detained for a mental health evaluation after returning to the center. She was not facing any charges.

The Islamic Center of San Diego had been in contact with the woman overnight and sought to provide her with help, San Diego police said. The center invited the woman back and SDPD was aware.

The lockdown was initiated around 2:30 p.m. after SDPD was alerted to a situation that may affect the Islamic Center of San Diego. The Carlsbad Police Department told SDPD that a woman’s family had called police with information that a woman was making suicidal statements, was possibly armed and could be heading to the Islamic Center of San Diego, San Diego police Lt. Cesar Jimenez said. CPD was already aware of the woman because she was driving erratically and evading officers.

Imam Taha Hassan, the religious leader of the Islamic Center of San Diego said he believes the woman was seeking help.

“This is not a terrorist act, this is not ‘the Islamic Center or the Muslim community under attack,’ No.” “I hope that this incident, this situation will be handled carefully, and also I hope that she gets the help that she needs.”

Officers responded within five minutes but the woman had already been at the center, San Diego police said. While there, she spoke to security guards and quickly left. By the evening, SDPD believed the woman had left San Diego County.

“When she came and she talked briefly with our security guard, and all that she said was seeking help. She did not feel safe, I don’t know from what. I wish she could stay so we could help her but she left immediately,” Imam Hassan said. ” I hope we can find her so we can help her.”

After her visit, the center and its adjourning school were placed on lockdown “out of an abundance of caution.” SDPD also sent officers to every Islamic center and mosque in San Diego, Jimenez said.

“There was never a direct threat to the Islamic Center of San Diego. There was never a direct threat to any other mosque,” Jimenez said. “Our concern is that when she was making suicidal threats and she mentioned the Islamic Center, we wanted to ensure that we would be here and that it would be safe and that we wouldn’t have any incidents occur.”

SDPD and the Iman sought to provide ease to a community that just six months ago was the target of a mass shooting terrorist attack. Three mosque members were killed and another person was injured when two teenage shooters armed with assault rifles descended on the Islamic Center of San Diego.

Amin Abdullah, a security guard fired a shot that struck one of the gunman and likely prevented the pair from carrying out plans to attack the adjacent Islamic school, a San Diego synagogue and Black students at a local high school. Abdullah was killed as were Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad.

Imam Hassan said they do not know the woman and had only seen a video she shared on social media. He added that she came to the center seeking help saying she “did not feel safe.”

After the woman departed the center, police sent out an alert asking the public to keep an eye out for the woman’s vehicle. On Wednesday morning, San Diego police sent out an update that the woman was taken into custody. No other information was provided.

The lockdown at the San Diego Islamic Center was lifted Tuesday evening.