ARE LUDICROUS ALLEGATIONS?

>>> TO THE OTHER BIG STORY

DEVELOPING TONIGHT.

A FIRE AT AN ESCONDIDO MOSQUE

BEING INVESTIGATED AS A POSSIBLE

HATE CRIME.

NBC 7 WAS THE FIRST TO REPORT ON

THE ARSON INVESTIGATION THIS

MORNING AT THE MOSQUE ON SIXTH

AVENUE.

>> POLICE SAY THE SUSPECT LEFT A

NOTE REFERRING TO THE RECENT

MOSQUE ATTACKS IN NEW ZEALAND.

>> Reporter: ESCONDIDO POLICE

AND ARSON INVESTIGATORS SET UP A

PERIMETER AROUND THE MOSQUE

EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.

MEMBERS OF THE MOSQUE SAY AT

3:00 A.M. SOMEONE SET A FIRE

JUST OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.

AS DAYLIGHT BROKE SOME OF THE

S

SCORCH MARKS WERE VISIBLE.

>> THEY HEARD THE SOUNDS AND

SMELLED FUNNY SMELLS AND THERE

WAS A LETTER SOMETHING

CONNECTING TO NEW ZEALAND AT THE

SAME TIME.

>> WORSHIPPERS WERE ABLE TO PUT

OUT THE FIRE BEFORE FIREFIGHTERS

ARRIVED.

THE MEMBERS HAS BEEN TO BE AT

THE MOSQUE EARLY FOR A RELIGIOUS

RITUAL.

NOW INVESTIGATORS ARE TRYING TO

FIGURE OUT WHO STARTED THE FIRE

AND LEFT THE THREATENING NOTE

ABOUT NEW ZEALAND.

>> Reporter: MEMBERS WERE

ALREADY ON EDGE AFTER THE NEW

ZEALAND ATTACKS.

DESPITE TODAY’S ARSON ATTEMPT

HERE, MEMBERS OF THIS MOSQUE IN

ESCONDIDO TELL ME THEY WILL

CONTINUE TO WORSHIP AND WILL

CONTINUE TO PRAY.

>> IS IT A ARSON, PROBABLY A

HATE CRIME, YES.

EVERYONE SHOULD REMAIN VIGIL.

>> ALTHOUGH WE’RE HEIGHTENED IN

OUR AWARENESS, WE’RE STILL

RESOLVED IN THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE

HERE STILL LOVE US AND SUPPORT

US.

>> Reporter: AS INVESTIGATING

CONTINUE TO PIECE TOGETHER THE

CLUES, LOCAL MUSLIMS SAY THEY

WON’T BE DETERRED FROM

PRACTICING THEIR FAITH.

>>> SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN NO

ARRESTS.

AND THE ESCONDIDO POLICE

DEPARTMENT HAS NOT RELEASED A

SUSPECT DESCRIPTION.

>>> TONIGHT THERE WILL BE A

GATHERING AND VIGIL AT THE

MOSQUE.

COMMUNITIES WILL SPEAK AT ABOUT

8:00.