WASHINGTON — A local mosque has been vandalized, but so far police say there are no signs of a hate crime.
“There was orange spray paint on a large portion of the exterior wall. Some doors and windows had also been spray-painted,” says Jonathan Perok with Prince William County Police Department.
It happened at the Manassas Mosque on Center Entrance Drive, sometime between 11:30 p.m. Monday night and 4:45 p.m. Tuesday morning, when a security guard discovered it.
Perok says investigators found one obscene word, but no identifying marks or other evidence that would lead them to believe this was a hate crime.
“It could still be viewed as a hate crime, but we would need to know the intent of the person who did it, and as of right now we don’t know that,” says Perok, who adds that the investigation continues.
“Hopefully we will get some sort of leads or something like that that will point us in the right direction toward a suspect or suspects,” he says.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is calling for a hate crime investigation by both local police and the FBI.
“Whenever a house of worship is targeted by vandals, the possibility of a bias motive must be investigated by law enforcement authorities,” charged CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper, in a a written statement released by the D.C.- based organization on Tuesday.
Police are asking anyone with information about what happened to call Crime Solvers at 703-670-3700 or 1-866-411-TIPS. You can leave a tip anonymously, and could earn up to a $1,000 cash reward.
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