Minneapolis mosque vandalized, burglarized

Police are investigating a break-in at a Minneapolis mosque that caused an estimated $50,000 in property damage.

The attack occurred late Sunday when a man broke into Tawfiq Islamic Center at 2400 Minnehaha Avenue and was "rooted" in Islamophobia, according to an email Tuesday from the Muslim American Society of Minnesota. The suspect smashed doors and windows, destroyed property and stole donations.

"Minnesota's Muslim community is facing unprecedented amount of attacks against our mosques," said Council on American-Islamic Relations-MN Executive Director Jaylani Hussein during a news conference Tuesday. "This latest attack is the fourth of such incidents involving a mosque in the state of Minnesota."

Minneapolis police have not located any suspects, the department said. Officers found property damage, including to a safe, and a reported loss of cash at the mosque.

"Preliminary information indicates that theft was the motivation for this burglary," according to a police statement. "However, due to the location of the burglary, MPD investigators will evaluate available evidence for indications that this burglary and property damage was motivated by hate or bias."

The man, who is white and was seen on security cameras, broke into the mosque's back door and destroyed almost every door he could find, said Hussein, who added he is advising mosques to increase their security protocols.

People at the mosque saw someone who appeared to be the suspect Monday night, but he disappeared before police arrived, Hussein said.

"Unfortunately, we called the police department and no one arrived for an hour," he said. "This is again the reason why we believe that law enforcement in the state of Minnesota needs to be responsive to the communities that they're serving, specifically the communities of color."

Hussein also called on the FBI to investigate the crime and for the federal government to expedite security grants that mosques have applied for.

Gov. Tim Walz condemned the attack via Twitter.

"This weekend, Tawfiq Islamic Center in Minneapolis was badly damaged and thousands of dollars in donations were stolen," he tweeted. "While this vandalism was meant to divide our communities, Minnesotans stand firm in our commitment to support our Muslim neighbors. Hate has no home here."

Anyone who can identify the suspect is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or go to www.CrimeStoppersMN.org. Anyone with information about the location of the suspect should immediately call 911.