Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - California Tutor Calls Himself "Friendly Federal Assassin" Before Correspondents' Dinner Shooting | Crime Alert 04.28.26

Episode Date: April 28, 2026

Cole Tomas Allen facing life in prison for Saturday's assassination attempt. Second set of remains found in search for missing USF students. Sydney Silvagni reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed human. Crime alert, hourly update. Breaking crime news now. I'm Sidney. Cole Thomas Allen, the man authorities say, attempted to storm the D.C. Hilton ballroom with a literal arsenal appeared in federal court yesterday. He's now officially charged with the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.

The scene in the courtroom Monday was a stark contrast to the mayhem on Saturday night. Allen, dressed in a blue jumpsuit and flanked by four U.S. Marshals, was described as soft-spoken, even nodding along as the judge explained the proceedings. But over the weekend, Alan's attempts to enter the ballroom with a shotgun sent guests ducking under tables and secret service agents rushing the president and first lady offstage as shots rang out. While Allen's defense highlights he has no prior criminal record and remains presumed innocent, the prosecution is laying out a terrifying inventory of what he brought with him to the Hilton. These are the weapons that the defendant had on his person.

You can see that's a 12-gauge pub action, Mossburg shotgun. It's a 38 semi-automatic. He had at least three knives and all kinds of paraphernalia. Beyond those firearms, investigators are now piecing together a methodical cross-country journey that led to that ballroom. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is pushing back against any narrative of a security lapse, insisting that the layers of protection worked exactly as intended. Law enforcement did not fail. They did exactly what they are trained to do. This was not an

accident. It was the result, as we know now, of preparation. But the men and women who protected us that night were trained, professional, and had an enduring commitment to the rule of law. Blanche also detailed a timeline that suggests this wasn't a heat of the moment decision, but a calculated strike involving a train trip halfway across the country. The defendant Allen made a hotel reservation at the Washington Hilton for April 24th through April 26th. On April 21st, he traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then from Chicago to Washington, D.C. On April 24th, he arrived in Washington, D.C. at approximately 1 o'clock in the afternoon and checked into the Washington Hilton. Perhaps the most chilling detail released involves a message Alan sent to his family just 10 minutes before the shooting.

He reportedly described himself as a friendly federal assassin enlisted administration officials as his targets. His family says they actually tried to alert police after reading his radical writings, but by then, the clock had run out. One law enforcement officer was shot in the vest during the scramble. Thankfully, that officer is expected to recover. On paper, Alan doesn't fit the profile of a typical high-risk suspect. He's a highly educated tutor and an amateur video game developer who spent years helping students with college prep. Now he faces the possibility of life in prison. Alan remains behind bars and is due back in court this Thursday for a detention hearing.

More crime and justice news after this. Over the weekend, the search for missing USF graduate student, Nehita Bristie, took a tragic turn, And we are learning disturbing new details about the digital trail that led police to the man they say killed her and her boyfriend, fellow doctoral student, Zemiel Lehman. On Friday, 26-year-old Hisham Abu Garbier was taken into custody at the home he shared with Zemil Lehman. While Lehman's body had been recovered, investigators were still holding out hope that Lehman's girlfriend, Nehita Bristie, might be found alive. I am heartbroken to announce the discovery of human remains discovered on the Howard Franklin Bridge earlier this morning. Just now, those remains were positively identified to Zamil.

We are still actively searching for Nahita. And again, I implore the community. If you have any tips of where you've seen or she's just recently seen, please report it to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office immediately. can recover her to safety. That hope was shattered Sunday when deputies recovered a second set of human remains near the St. Petersburg side of the Howard Franklin Bridge. While a formal identification is pending from the medical examiner, the location aligns with the site where police found Lehman's remains in a black plastic bag. We are also getting a chilling look into the suspect's search history. Prosecutors filed

new court documents Saturday, alleging that days before the murders, Abu Garbier, turned to chat GPT, for advice on how to dispose of a body. According to the filing, he asked the AI what would happen if someone threw human remains in a dumpster. When the AI flagged the query as dangerous, he allegedly pushed back, asking, how would they find out? The digital trail didn't stop there. On the night of the disappearances, traffic cameras and GPS data placed Abu Garbier's car on the Howard Franklin Bridge at 1.30 a.m. Prosecutors say he stopped for several minutes and used the flash. light tool on his phone, right in the area where the bodies were ultimately dumped. Back at the apartment the men shared, police found a CVS receipt for trash bags, Lysol

wipes, and Fabriz. They eventually discovered bloody clothes and the same brand of trash bags hidden under the suspect's bed, along with Nahita's purse and shoes. Zemiel's student ID, glasses, and credit cards were recovered from a dumpster near the apartment. Abu Garbier, who has a documented history of violent tantrums and domestic battery is now being held without bond. He now faces two counts of first-degree murder. Given the nature of the crimes, prosecutors indicate he could face the death penalty. For the latest crime and justice breaking news, be sure to tune in tomorrow on your favorite podcast app. With this crime alert, I'm Sidney Silvani.

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