A man from San Francisco was arrested on Wednesday evening for suspected vandalism at a mosque in Nob Hill. This was his second visit to the scene of the crime in as many days.
The man, identified as Robert Gray, 35, was charged with one felony count of vandalism causing damage of over $400 and a misdemeanor violation of civil rights by damaging another property. He is currently in a county jail.
Gray and his representative have not responded to requests for comment.
San Francisco Police received a call from members of Masjid al-Tawheed mosque around 7:55 p.m. on Wednesday, identifying Gray as the person who vandalized their sanctuary on April 4. The congregants recognized him from security footage.
Upon arrival, officers detained Gray as he matched the description of the suspect wanted in the attack.
“Through their investigation, officers found probable cause for the arrest,” said Police spokesperson Paulina Henderson.
The investigation is ongoing, and police are seeking more information.
Surveillance video from the San Francisco Standard captured a man using a skateboard to break multiple windows at the mosque on April 4.
The man returned to the mosque on both Tuesday and Wednesday. During the latter incident, congregants confronted Gray and managed to call the police, who arrived in time to arrest him.
“Community members have been living in fear for the past two weeks,” said Aseel Fara, a member of Masjid al-Tawheed mosque and a San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commissioner.
Fara mentioned that the incident shocked many community members who moved to San Francisco for its diverse society.
Gray’s arrest was welcomed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations Bay Area chapter.
“We are relieved that an arrest has been made in these distressing incidents,” said CAIR Bay Area Executive Director Zahra Billoo.
Billoo noted that the number of Islamophobia complaints nationwide is at a 30-year high, with over 8,000 reports received by CAIR last year.
“This arrest sends a clear message that hate-driven behaviors will not be overlooked and serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges we face in combating Islamophobia,” Billoo added.
