Deputies are asking for the public’s help finding a man who was acting suspiciously outside an Islamic center in Vista.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO) said the man was first seen snapping photos of the Tri-City Islamic Center on his cell phone on March 30.
Members noticed he was taking photos and invited him inside. That’s when he immediately took off running. The community quickly grew nervous for their safety.
“The community really has a heightened sense of alert and security and we are really on the lookout for individuals who would threaten our places of worship,” San Diego's Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Executive Director Dustin Craun said.
The suspicious encounter happened only six days after someone set an Escondido mosque on fire, and left a threatening message in their parking lot. The message, which was quickly covered up, referenced the March 15 attacks at two New Zealand mosques where at least 50 people were killed.
“Islamophobia is a real problem in San Diego. [There are some] who may want to do harm to the Islamic community so we need to be vigilant in these times,” Craun said.
This new center in Vista has yet to open officially because it's waiting for its city-use permit approval. Signs on the door state Friday prayer service has been postponed until that comes through.
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For now, Craun hopes the center invests in camera security in case the suspicious man comes back.
Deputies describe the suspect as a man in his late 20s, about 5 feet 7 inches tall with a lean or muscular build. He has short dark hair and a blonde beard.
The man was last seen wearing a red hat, a dark gray sports coat and blue jeans.
Anyone with information can call the sheriff's department at (858) 565-5200.
No other information was available.
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