DAVIS, Calif. (Diya TV) — California authorities say a 30-year-old woman is being charged with hate crimes after police said she broke windows and left bacon on the doorhandles of the Davis Islamic Center.
According to a report from the Sacramento Bee, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of Lauren Kirk-Coehlo of Davis on Tuesday.
She has been charged with vandalism in the incident last month at the Davis Islamic Center. She’s alleged to have smashed six windows, broke two bicycles and put strips of bacon on the center’s doorhandles. Muslims are prohibited from eating pork products. In a statement released to CAIR-SV, Davis Islamic Center president Amr Zedan thanked the Davis community for coming together and supporting the mosque.
“This incident showed the beautiful good will of Americans and that our communities stand united,” Zedan wrote. “As a Muslim community we are forgiving and merciful, but we hope that the perpetrator has the chance to reflect upon her actions and the grief she caused to our community.”
Earlier this month in the same region, Roseville’s Tarbiya Institute was spray-painted with obscene and racist slurs, including “Muslim out.” The two cities are about 34 miles away from each other.
Roseville police say that also is being investigated as a hate crime, though there is no sign the two incidents are related. Kirk-Coehlo was arrested on Tuesday and booked at Yolo County Jail. She’s being held on $1M bail.
