One of two ex-convicts accused of planning an attack on a Seattle military recruiting station is a San Diego native according to a published report.
Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif, also known as Joseph Anthony Davis, 33, of Seattle, was arrested Wednesday when he and another man showed up at a warehouse garage to pick up machine guns they planned to use in the attack, authorities said Thursday.
Davis was born in San Diego where his father had been imprisoned according to the Seattle Times.
Davis disclosed portions of his personal history in a 2002 interview with a psychologist. Davis had been arrested for robbing a convenience store Bremerton, WA, and there was a question about his mental competency, so he voluntarily submitted to questioning by the psychologist.
According to that forensic mental health report filed, Davis was raised by his mother, who was apparently living in Washington state, but returned to San Diego in 1990, at age 12, to live here with his father.
Davis told the psychologist that he had "a lot of abandonment" issues during childhood. He said his father was absent much of the time and did not provide enough food and other essentials for the family. Davis said he tried to hang himself at age 12, and treated at Rancho Park, a psychiatric hospital in El Cajon.
Davis also said he was also placed in a group home for care. Davis said he "huffed" (inhaled) gasoline at age 13 and 14, and has been a heavy marijuana user.
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According to the evaluation report, Davis graduated from high school with average and below-average grades, but it's unclear if he attended high school here, or had moved out of the area by then.
He told the psychologist that he served two stints in the Job Corps, from 1997-98 and again from 1998-99. He also studied commercial painting and culinary arts.
Authorities learned of the plot this month when a third person recruited to participate alerted Seattle police, according to court documents. Agents then set up the sting through the confidential informant, who had known Davis for years.
The weapons had been rendered inoperable by federal agents and posed no risk to the public.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle said he and his alleged accomplice, Walli Mujahidh, planned to attack Joint Base Lewis-McChord but later changed targets.
Abdul-Latif and Mujahidh face federal charges of conspiracy to murder officers and employees of the United States, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, and possession of firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence. Abdul-Latif was also charged with two counts of illegal possession of firearms.
Court-appointed lawyers for the men declined to comment.
