Georgia fugitive accused of ICE building arson may be disguised as woman

A Georgia fugitive accused of torching an ICE building during the 2020 riots is wanted on fresh federal charges, with the FBI noting he may be disguising himself in women’s clothing.

Federal charges were unsealed Thursday against convicted felon Ronald Scott Watson, 28, of Kennesaw, Georgia—who also goes by the names of Sarah Watson, Miranda Kyle and Emily Smith, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Watson is charged with arson and destruction of government property in relation to a summer 2020 attack on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in downtown Atlanta, according to the DOJ.

The suspect was convicted in January 2023 of felony assault of a public safety officer in Oregon. (DOJ)

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Just before midnight on July 25, 2020, a crowd gathered at the Atlanta ICE building and protested outside a fenced area. 

Meanwhile, several masked people wearing dark clothing breached the fences and vandalized the building, according to officials and court documents.

The rioters allegedly used rocks, cinder blocks, modified fireworks, Molotov cocktails, lighter fluid bottles, and other materials to cause more than $78,000 in damage.

The rioters used rocks, cinder blocks, modified fireworks, Molotov cocktails, lighter fluid bottles, and other materials to cause more than $78,000 in damage to the Atlanta ICE building. (DOJ)

Inside the building, law enforcement found blood near a broken window and a lighter fluid bottle near an undetonated Molotov cocktail, according to the DOJ.

Officials said law enforcement identified Watson as one of the people in the group, based on evidence collected following his January 2023 felony conviction for assaulting a public safety officer in Oregon.

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Prior to the attack on the ICE building, officials said Watson posted numerous anti-ICE messages on social media, including “a depiction of an ICE agent about to be struck in the head with a baseball bat.” 

Watson also allegedly claimed on social media to have “thrown bricks, done other things not to be mentioned, … [and] Doxxed people” as examples of “taking action,” according to the DOJ.

“The right to peacefully protest never excuses acts of violence, like smashing windows and attempting to set fire to a government building,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg. “Anyone who perpetrates or threatens violence against federal officers or property must be identified, found, and held accountable.”

The charges stem from an attack on the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement building located in downtown Atlanta during the summer of 2020. (DOJ)

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Paul Brown, FBI Atlanta special agent in charge, added the First Amendment does not allow individuals to commit arson or destroy property.

Steven Schrank, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama, said those who attack government institutions “with fire and violence” will be held accountable. 

“Setting fire to a government building is not only an attack on bricks and mortar—it is an attack on the rule of law and the safety of our communities,” Schrank wrote in a statement.

The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for Ronald Watson’s arrest. (DOJ)

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Watson’s arrest. 

Officials said Watson has ties to Portland, Oregon and Atlanta, Georgia, and “may have changed his appearance and may be dressing in women’s clothing.”

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Watson should be considered armed and dangerous, according to the FBI.