A court found a woman who is accused of threatening to shoot congregants of a Clairemont church during an Easter Sunday service is not mentally competent to stand trial.
Anna Conkey will spend up to two years in a state hospital after the court determined Conkey could not assist in her own defense due to mental illness, a spokesperson for the San Diego County District Attorney's Office said.
Conkey was charged with eight felonies, including making criminal threats, making a false bomb threat and child abuse, for the April 12, 2019, incident at Tsidkenu Church at Mount Everest Academy.
Prosecutors said Conkey was holding her 10-month-old when she took the stage during the service and began threatening congregants, pointing a firearm at herself and her baby.
A video recording of the incident was played during a preliminary hearing, where about 12 witnesses took the stand to describe what happened that day.
A witness said he heard Conkey saying, "We were wrong, and there wasn't going to be a rapture, and Christians needed to die for their faith."
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Another witness said he also heard Conkey say, "We are all going to die."
Conkey is a former intern and freelance digital producer for NBC 7. She is also an SDSU graduate and was in the U.S Navy.
Minutes before the incident, an email was sent to NBC 7 from an account with the name "Anna Conkey." The email was sent as a news tip.
"There’s a woman claiming to be the messiah, saying she was sent to blow up the foundation of the Church—she’s got a gun and a child is involved. Address is 4350 Mount Everest Blvd San Diego, CA 92117. There’s about 70 people in the auditorium of the school where the church service is held," the message said.
Prosecutors said Conkey also called 911 to report a bomb threat. Police arrived within two minutes.
Witness David Michael Miller, one of several who disarmed and subdued Conkey until police arrived, said Conkey pointed the gun at the congregation, at herself and at her baby as he and others approached her.
No shots were fired, and Conkey or her 10-month-old child were not injured. Police said the gun was not loaded.
Conkey's baby was taken into protective custody after the incident, as was her 5-year-old, who was at another location at the time of the incident. Prosecutors said the children were turned over to family.
