A Lutheran church in Simi Valley was vandalized with a hate message on April 16, over a week after an Islamic mosque in the city reported a potential hate crime, authorities said.
Officers with the Simi Valley Police Department arrived at the Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church at 4191 E. Cochran St. around 12:42 p.m. in regard to a vandalism report, according to authorities.
Police found a sign on the property with the message “Jesus accepts everyone” that had been defaced with derogatory language targeting the LGBTQ+ community, according to a news release. The damage is estimated to cost around $100.
No arrests have been made, but the police department is investigating the incident as vandalism and a hate crime, officials said.
The department is also investigating a separate hate crime that took place a week earlier.
On April 7, police responded to the Islamic Society of Simi Valley just before 10 p.m. after a person reportedly shoved several handwritten messages on business card-sized papers through the front door of the building.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Simi Valley church vandalized with anti-LGBTQ hate message
Reporting by Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
