Jail time added to sentence for 'patriot' woman who damaged an Arizona mosque
An Arizona woman who has past ties to the anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim group Patriot Movement AZ聽and who damaged a mosque earlier this year could end up spending a month in jail after members of the mosque pressed for a tougher punishment at her sentencing hearing Thursday.
Elizabeth Dauenhauer was hit with the news a day after her 52nd birthday. As expected, she was sentenced to 18 months of probation and 200 hours of community service as part of a plea agreement聽she struck with prosecutors last month.
But in a twist at the hearing, Maricopa County prosecutor Neha Bhatia said members of the Islamic Community Center of Tempe were present in the courtroom and wanted the judge to add a month in jail to her sentence 鈥 something that was not previously part of the deal. The jail time would be delayed until next year and could be tossed if Dauenhauer does well on probation. But it would add an extra incentive for her to stay on her best behavior.
鈥淭wo representatives of the Tempe mosque are present in the courtroom,鈥 Bhatia said. 鈥淭hey are asking that the defendant be sentenced to one month of deferred jail to ensure that she is keeping on track with her probation.鈥
Despite opposition from Dauenhauer鈥檚 defense attorney, Mark Mendoza, the judge agreed to the jail time, which would start on Dec. 1, 2019.
鈥淵our fate is really in your own hands,鈥 Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Mark Brain told her. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e not doing what you鈥檙e supposed to be doing, come next Christmas you鈥檒l be in jail.鈥
Dauenhauer and another woman, Tahnee Gonzales, 聽to Facebook in March showing themselves going on to the grounds of the mosque, using anti-Muslim slurs and removing a number of items, including what they said were copies of the Quran. They brought three of Gonzales鈥 children along with them and encouraged the kids to take part in anti-Muslim actions. The women were arrested聽11 days later.
Both women had previously taken part in events with Patriot Movement AZ, whose founder, Lesa Antone has declared, 鈥淚slam is our enemy.鈥
Dauenhauer pleaded guilty on Oct. 4 to a felony count of aggravated criminal damage. Gonzales has also been charged in the case with two felony counts as well as three misdemeanors of child endangerment. Gonzales has pleaded not guilty.
As the Southern Poverty Law Center first reported in July, the elected county attorney in Maricopa County, Bill Montgomery, had taken the unusual step聽of personally intervening in the case. Gonzales鈥 attorney, Marc聽Victor, told the 人兽性交 that a potential deal being worked out for both defendants in the case was unlikely to include jail time and might instead include some kind of public meeting between Montgomery, the women, and members of the mosque.
There was no sign of that kind of special deal at the sentencing on Thursday.
Dauenhauer spoke only briefly on her own behalf at the hearing.
鈥淚鈥檓 very sorry and ashamed of this whole situation,鈥 she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e created a complete mess of my life and I鈥檓 very sorry to the people that I鈥檝e hurt.鈥
The judge told her that was an appropriate way to feel.
鈥淲ell I suppose the good news is that you are ashamed, because you ought to be,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 horrible thing.鈥