Joseph Michael Schreiber, 32, was arrested on arson and hate crime charges on Wednesday, three days after police say he began the blaze that badly damaged the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce on one of the holiest Muslim holidays, as well as the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
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Standing at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce on Thursday where investigators said an arson fire ravaged part of the facility, a longtime worshipper vowed the plan is to rebuild.
Orlando nightclub shooter Omar Mateen had occasionally attended the mosque.
Officials with the St. Lucie County sheriff’s office have released the complete surveillance video footage from the Islamic Center arson.
Because this act is being charged as a hate crime, Schreiber could face a minimum of 30 years jail-time due to Florida’s hate crime enhancement law.
At the news conference, Thompson said detectives were still questioning Schreiber on Wednesday evening, and he didn’t say if Schreiber had a lawyer.
Federal authorities are also investigating the fire for any potential violations of federal law, US officials said.
The arsonist posted that “All Islam is radical” on Facebook last July, adding that he thinks all Muslims should be treated as terrorists and criminals. The fire, which seriously damaged the mosque, broke out at 11:49 p.m. Sunday, just an hour after worshipers who had gathered there for the annual holiday Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, had left.
“There is anti-Islam propaganda, and that corroborates our fear that it has to do with the Islamic community”, said Maj.
Mateen was killed by police after opening fire at the Pulse nightclub on June 12 in a rampage that left 49 victims dead and 53 wounded, making it the worst mass shooting in modern USA history.
Sheriff’s deputies in St. Lucie County investigate a suspected arson Monday, Sept. 12, 2016 at a mosque of which Pulse nightclub gunman Omar Mateen was a member. He told police in a 911 call that he had pledged allegiance to the head of the Islamic State militant group, but investigators do not believe he had assistance from outside organizations. His father is among roughly 100 people who regularly attend the mosque.
The Associated Press reported Thursday that Schreiber is Jewish, and that he had briefly attended a Reform synagogue in Port St. Lucie earlier this year.
(Florida Department of Corrections via AP).
A weekend surveillance video from the mosque showed a man on a motorcycle approaching the building with a bottle of liquid and some papers, then leaving when there was a flash and shaking his hand as though he may have burned it, Thompson said.
The judge also cited Schreiber’s previous criminal history, which dates back to 2003 and includes petty theft, resisting arrest and trespassing.
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“They were passing by throwing flowers on us”, he said.
