Man accused of hate crime following vandalism at San Francisco church

By Tim Fang

A man has been arrested and accused of a hate crime after a San Francisco church was vandalized over the weekend, police said.

Around 8:45 a.m. Saturday, officers were called to a church on the 2800 block of California Street, between Broderick and Divisadero streets, on reports of antisemitic and homophobic graffiti. Police said they found swastikas, antisemitic and homophobic words in fresh paint on church buildings and city utilities.

Police located a suspect and later placed him under arrest. The suspect, identified as 51-year-old Sadat Mousa, was booked on suspicion of felony vandalism with a hate crime enhancement.

“This kind of hateful act will never be tolerated in our city,” police chief Derrick Lew said in a statement Saturday. “We will do everything in our power to protect our communities and ensure justice is served in this case. I want to thank our officers who acted swiftly to make an arrest in this case.”

According to police, damage from the vandalism exceeds $20,000.

Jail records show Mousa remains in custody on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon.