Woman accused in Tempe mosque burglary has history of arrests

Two women who live-streamed themselves ransacking a Tempe mosque and mocking Muslims as child molesters and dog eaters were released from custody Friday.

Tahnee Gonzales, 32, and Elizabeth Dauenhauer, 51, were arrested Thursday and booked on burglary charges after their Facebook-live video went viral.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge released the women on their own recognizance but ordered them to wear electronic monitoring devices in lieu of bail.

Gonzales, who has a criminal record dating to 2004, also was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct.

The arrests stem from a March 4 incident in which the women brought at least three children to the Islamic Community Center as part of a self-described expose to show how Muslims are "destroying America."

They filmed themselves walking into the center's courtyard and taking stacks of pamphlets and brochures to stop the spread of "propaganda."

RELATED:

Kids in tow, women mock Muslims inside Tempe mosque

Women who snatched items from Tempe mosque arrested

They also took Qurans, air fresheners, educational fliers, calendars and other items, according to the probable cause statement provided by police in court documents.

The courtyard was surrounded by a fence and entrances were clearly marked with "no trespassing" signs, court records said.

Gonzales was arrested at home in Glendale. Her Facebook page describes her as a supporter of the Arizona Patriot Movement.

Her page includes a video showing her outside a March 11 Bernie Sanders rally in Phoenix dressed in a Make America Great Again cap and a shirt saying: "We can't co-exist with people who want to kill us."

Gonzales: Drug, alcohol arrests

Court records show that between 2004 and 2012, Gonzales was convicted four times of drug possession or driving under the influence. A marijuana charge in 2004 was dismissed four years later, court records show.

Gonzales was convicted of shoplifting in 2011 and disorderly conduct in 2012.

Almost all her arrests occurred in Yuma.

Since 2012, she has one citation for speeding.

Dauenhauer, who was arrested at her home in Phoenix in the mosque case, does not appear to have a criminal record.

In the video, Gonzales and Dauenhauer are seen in the mosque courtyard handing material to the young children. The women launched verbal abuse at a Muslim man at the mosque entrance.

“Stay away from our dogs, please. Don’t eat them," Gonzales said while holding the camera, adding: “You guys even rape goats. That’s how sick you are.”

Gonzales goes on to call Muslims evil and say they rape children. Then she shouted: “Yeah, we’re coming after you. We the people. That’s right.”

The video indicates Gonzales might have been carrying a firearm despite a sign prohibiting weapons on the property. In the video, Gonzales refers to her gun by the name "Betty" and can be heard telling someone to "go take my gun back" to the car.

The women said they were attempting to expose "the infiltration of the Arabic Muslim coming in and destroying America," stressing in the video that the mosque was in a "nice suburban city" with "young, vulnerable people" nearby.

Gonzales removed the video after being contacted by The Arizona Republic on Tuesday, though it remains available on other profiles.

Imam: 'It was really disturbing'

A representative for the community center told police the items that the women and children took were only for members and staff.

"It was really disturbing to see how ignorant some people can be," Imam Ahmad Al-Akoum told The Republic.

A Maricopa County prosecutor said in court Friday that Gonzales was booked on disorderly conduct because of the insults she shouted.

The judge, however, did not find probable cause to support it.

Gonzales and Dauenhauer were scheduled for their court appearances on March 29.

Detective Lily Duran, a Tempe Police Department spokeswoman, said if the women are convicted, a judge could make hate an aggravating factor.

"Based on the details of the crime, an enhancement of hate crime will be considered for sentencing," she said.

READ MORE:

Chandler non-profit helps Muslims, Mormons, other faiths find 'what unites us'

Tempe voters elect incumbents, Jennifer Adams to city council

Arizona universities propose tuition rates for 2018-19 school year