The Ibolya Ryan suspect, accused of stabbing the American teacher to death at a high-end mall in Abu Dhabi earlier this week, has been arrested.
The female suspect, whose name has not been released, also reportedly planted a bomb at the home of an
American doctor, according to NBC News. The bomb was discovered by the intended victim's son and diffused by police with no injuries reported.
Police say the woman, described by officials as an Emirati national in her late 30s, targeted the Americans "on nationality alone and had nothing to do with personal issues."
"She aimed to create chaos, shake the security in the country, and terrorize people in the UAE," NBC quoted a police statement, which also said the suspect confessed.
Ryan, 47, was killed in a bathroom stall at a mall on Reem Island Monday. She was a divorced mother of 11-year-old twin boys, whose father later flew to the UAE to
pick up the children, Fox News reported. Ryan was born in Romania, but became a U.S. citizen. NBC reported that she also had a 15-year-old daughter who was at boarding school in Europe.
After Ryan’s body was discovered, initial reports pointed to a woman dressed in black traditional clothing, including a veil covering her face and gloves. She was caught on security tape leaving the mall, Fox News noted.
Abu Dhabi sources told Fox that a fight broke out in the restroom between the two women.
Ryan's death came after the U.S. Embassy in the country issued a warning in October about a "recent anonymous posting on a Jihadist website that encouraged attacks against teachers at American and other international schools in the Middle East."
"The Mission is unaware of any specific, credible threat against any American or other school or individual in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)," Fox quoted the warning. "Nonetheless, the Mission is working with local schools identified with the United States to review their security posture."
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