Buena Park man admits vandalizing Sikh temple, police say
A man has been arrested in connection with scribbling graffiti on a Sikh temple in Buena Park and “ISIS” on a tractor trailer Sunday in Buena Park, police said.
Brodie Durazo admitted Wednesday to spray-painting gang graffiti on the exterior of the Sikh Center in the 7100 block of Orangethorpe Avenue and scribbling an expletive and the word “ISIS,” an acronym for the Islamic State extremist group, on a community member’s tractor trailer that had been parked there overnight, Buena Park police said in a statement.
Durazo, 20, of Buena Park, was arrested on suspicion of vandalism at a place of worship, police said.
Prosecutors will determine whether to file hate crime charges against Durazo.
Similar gang graffiti was found on a neighboring building, police said.
The vandalism prompted concerns among members of the Sikh community who feared they could face violence following the shooting rampage in San Bernardino.
Gurjot Kaur, an attorney for the Sikh Coalition, noted that Sikhs are often targeted because of their dress and grooming, which others may mistakenly believe to be Muslim.
Following Sunday’s vandalism, police increased their patrols of the temple and the neighborhood.
“The Buena Park Police Department understands the sensitive nature of crimes like this and is providing extra police patrols and attention to the Sikh Temple,” the department said.
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