WEATHER AS WE HEAD THROUGH

MID-WEEK.

WE’LL BE BACK IN A MOMENT WITH

THAT.

>>> ESCONDIDO POLICE ARE

INVESTIGATING A POSSIBLE HATE

CRIME AFTER AN ARSONIST TRIED TO

SET FIRE TO A MOSS NIC

ESCONDIDO.

THAT PERSON ALSO LEFT A MESSAGE

CALLING ATTENTION TO THE DEADLY

ATTACK AT A MOSQUE IN NEW

ZEALAND.

NBC 7’S ARTIE OJEDA IS IN

ESCONDIDO THIS EVENING WHERE

UNDERSTANDABLY THERE’S A LOT OF

TENSION AMONGST WORSHIPPERS

TONIGHT, ARTIE.

>> Reporter: ABSOLUTELY,

CATHERINE.

ESCONDIDO POLICE HAVE BEEFED UP

PATROLS IN THIS AREA, BUT NO

DOUBT ABOUT IT, TENSION IS IN

THE AIR AS CITY, COUNTY, AND

FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS LOOK FOR

AN ARSONIST WHO APPARENTLY CUT

THROUGH THAT GATE, WENT AROUND

THE CORNER, AND TRIED TO SET

FIRE NEAR A SIDE ENTRANCE TO THE

MOSQUE. THE AFTERMATH OF AN APPARENT

HATE CRIME.

IT HAPPENED AT 3:15 SUNDAY

MORNING.

THE ARSONIST FALLING SHORT OF

HIS EFFORT TO BURN DOWN THE

DAR-UL-ARQAM MOSQUE.

>> WE DON’T FEEL LIKE WE’RE

UNSAFE RIGHT HERE, BUT THEN WHEN

I SAW THIS INCIDENT RIGHT HERE I

FELT SO UNSAFE RIGHT HERE.

LIKE WHAT’S GOING ON RIGHT HERE?

>> Reporter: ESCONDIDO POLICE

AND THE COUNTY BOMB SQUAD SPENT

HOURS AT SCENE LOOKING FOR

CLUES.

FOR NOW THEY HAVE NO SUSPECTS

AND ARE PROVIDING LITTLE

INFORMATION.

BUT MOSQUE MEMBERS SAY THIS DIRT

COVERS UP A HATE-FAILED MESSAGE.

IT REFERENCED A DEADLY SHOOTING

AT A MOSQUE IN’LL NEW ZEALAND.

>> I FEEL BAD, ACTUALLY.

I FEEL BAD BECAUSE WHY PEOPLE

DOING THIS TO US.

YOU KNOW, WHAT’S THE REASON FOR

IT.

BECAUSE WE DON’T DO ANYTHING

BAD.

ANYTHING WRONG.

YOU KNOW, WE DON’T HARM ANYBODY.

>> Reporter: THE MOSQUE DOES

HAVE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS.

ACCORDING TO REMEMBER, THEY SHOW

AN UNIDENTIFIED PERSON BREAKING

A LOCK TO A PARKING LOT GATE AND

THEN POURING A FLAMMABLE LIQUID

NEAR A SIDE DOOR AND SETTING THE

FIRE.

SEVEN WORSHIPPERS INSIDE THE

MOSQUE SMELLED THE FIRE AND PUT

IT OUT BEFORE IT SPREAD INSIDE.

>> WHEN YOU ATTACK ANY

SANCTUARY, IT IS AN ATTACK

AGAINST ALL OF US.

IT’S AN ATTACK AGAINST OUR

HUMANITY.

>> Reporter: SUNDAY NIGHT MORE

THAN 100 PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT

RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS GATHERED

ON THE DOORSTEPS OF THE MOSQUE,

DENOUNCING THE APPARENT HATE

CRIME.

AND TODAY A STRANGER WITH NO

CONNECTION TO THE MOSQUE LEFT

FLOWERS TO SHOW HER SUPPORT.

>> IT BREAKS MY HEART THAT

PEOPLE KIND OF PRACTICE THIS

HATE IN A WAY THAT THEY THINK

IT’S OKAY.

>> Reporter: A FUND-RAISING PAGE

HAS BEEN SET UP TO HELP OUT THE

MOSQUE HERE, ALSO IMPROVE

SECURITY, PERHAPS IMPROVE THOSE SECURITY CAMERAS THAT THEY HAVE

ON THE WALL. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN TAKING A

LOOK AT THAT, JUST GO TO OUR