A terrorism-related charge against a San Antonio mother accused of helping her teenage son prepare for possible violence at his middle school has been rejected.
Ashley Pardo was arrested for the offense in May 2025, but court records show the charge of aiding in the commission of terrorism was closed Thursday for “insufficient evidence.”
A separate charge of Abandoning or Endangering a Child Due to Criminal Negligence was also rejected.
When she was arrested, investigators accused her of providing ammunition and tactical gear to her 13-year-old son despite concerns about his interest in mass shootings and alleged threats involving Rhodes Middle School.
Pardo’s son was also arrested in May 2025 after authorities said he showed up at Rhodes Middle School wearing tactical-style clothing before leaving campus. Investigators said a family member later found ammunition, loaded magazines and an improvised explosive device among his belongings. The teen was charged with terrorism.
At the time of Pardo’s arrest, investigators alleged she had been warned about her son’s behavior by school officials and was providing materials like ammunition and tactical gear to her son as an exchange for when he babysat his siblings.
“Her behavior is not only dangerous, it’s abhorrent, especially as a parent,” Former San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said at a press conference in 2025. “She appeared to be dismissive and unconcerned with her son’s behavior.”
Pardo’s son has already been through the legal process in juvenile court and is now serving two years of probation in a secured facility.
Cameras captured the moment he told the judge he was ready to get help and take responsibility.
The News 4 I-Team reached out to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office about Pardo’s case earlier this week. After more than a year of pending charges, investigators inquired about any holdups in taking the case to a grand jury or obtaining an indictment.
On Tuesday, the DA’s office told investigators the case was pending, adding, “Generally speaking, indictments for bond cases occur within 180 days of an individual’s arrest or the official filing of felony charges. However, there can be exceptions based on various circumstances that are justified, including a case’s complexity, ongoing investigations, etc.”
A day later, the case was closed.
Investigators contacted the DA’s office again to ask about what led to the dismissal, any issues with evidence, and whether Pardo could face charges again if new evidence emerges.
Following a comprehensive review of all evidence submitted by law enforcement and conducted by several veteran prosecutors, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office rejects the aiding in terrorism case against Ashley Pardo due to insufficient evidence to support the elements of the charge.
Additionally, prosecutors did not pursue terrorism charges against the juvenile involved in the case, as the evidence did not substantiate that allegation and instead warranted a different charge that could be supported, which prosecutors filed with a court. Consequently, prosecutors could not charge Ms. Pardo with aiding in terrorism, as those charges would be inherently connected.
Regarding Ms. Pardo’s Abandoning or Endangering a Child Due to Criminal Negligence charge, investigators were unable to confirm that the alleged weapon in question was a real firearm, as law enforcement never seized it and submitted it to the DA’s office for analysis. Given that fact, the current evidence does not support the charge of Abandoning or Endangering a Child Due to Criminal Negligence, so the charge was rejected.
When law enforcement makes an arrest, they operate under the standard of probable cause, which requires a reasonable belief that a crime has been committed. This standard allows law enforcement to initiate charges and forward evidence to the DA’s office. However, prosecutors must meet a higher standard of proof, which requires them to prove an individual’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In this instance, prosecutors cannot proceed with the charges due to the current evidence not meeting that standard.
As with any case, should new evidence emerge, the possibility exists for these cases to be refiled in the future.
The charge of “aiding in the commission of terrorism” is relatively new in Texas, established in 2023.
Pardo became the first person to face that offense in Bexar County, and according to the group Everytown for Gun Safety, this incident appears to mark the first case in which a parent faced serious criminal charges for allowing their child to get armed in the alleged planning stages of an attack or before violence occurred.
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