AhlulBayt News Agency: A San Francisco man has been charged with hate crime after vandalizing a mosque.
In a recent incident of religious intolerance, a resident of San Francisco, Robert Gray, 35, has been indicted on hate crime charges. The allegations stem from an incident where he purportedly used his skateboard to inflict significant damage to several windows of a mosque located in the Lower Nob Hill neighborhood.
The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office has formally charged Gray with felony vandalism, with an added specification of a hate crime. As of Thursday evening, Gray was detained at the San Francisco County Jail, with bail set at $250,000, as per the jail records, San Francisco Chronicle reported on Thursday.
Gray’s initial court appearance, known as an arraignment, is slated for Friday. If the jury finds him guilty of all charges, including the hate crime specification, he could potentially be sentenced to a six-year term in state prison, as per the District Attorney’s Office.
The prosecutors have expressed their intention to request that Gray remain in custody until his trial, citing concerns about public safety.
The charges against Gray are linked to an incident that occurred on April 4, at the Masjid Al-Tawheed mosque, located at 1227 Sutter Street in San Francisco. According to the District Attorney’s Office, Gray returned to the mosque on Wednesday evening, prompting a call to the police. Responding to a report of a suspected vandal at approximately 7:55 p.m., officers apprehended Gray without any complications.
“Vandalism of this nature is completely unacceptable and is even more alarming as it occurred during the holy month of Ramadan and while Muslim families were present praying and worshiping,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “Our houses of worship are sacred spaces and targeting them in any way will not be tolerated in San Francisco. My office will make it clear that there is zero tolerance for those who commit any crimes targeting our religious spaces.”
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In a recent incident of religious intolerance, a resident of San Francisco, Robert Gray, 35, has been indicted on hate crime charges. The allegations stem from an incident where he purportedly used his skateboard to inflict significant damage to several windows of a mosque located in the Lower Nob Hill neighborhood.
The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office has formally charged Gray with felony vandalism, with an added specification of a hate crime. As of Thursday evening, Gray was detained at the San Francisco County Jail, with bail set at $250,000, as per the jail records, San Francisco Chronicle reported on Thursday.
Gray’s initial court appearance, known as an arraignment, is slated for Friday. If the jury finds him guilty of all charges, including the hate crime specification, he could potentially be sentenced to a six-year term in state prison, as per the District Attorney’s Office.
The prosecutors have expressed their intention to request that Gray remain in custody until his trial, citing concerns about public safety.
The charges against Gray are linked to an incident that occurred on April 4, at the Masjid Al-Tawheed mosque, located at 1227 Sutter Street in San Francisco. According to the District Attorney’s Office, Gray returned to the mosque on Wednesday evening, prompting a call to the police. Responding to a report of a suspected vandal at approximately 7:55 p.m., officers apprehended Gray without any complications.
“Vandalism of this nature is completely unacceptable and is even more alarming as it occurred during the holy month of Ramadan and while Muslim families were present praying and worshiping,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “Our houses of worship are sacred spaces and targeting them in any way will not be tolerated in San Francisco. My office will make it clear that there is zero tolerance for those who commit any crimes targeting our religious spaces.”
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