Investigation into possible hate crime for burning crosses at an African-American and Hispanic church in Sylmar

Pastor Pierre Howard told La Opinión that on Thursday morning several parishioners found three burning crosses in front of his church in Sylmar.

“We in the church put these crosses up there” in a symbolic way, said the pastor of the Sylmar Christian Fellowship, a community mostly composed of African Americans.

“There have always been crosses, but there has never been anything like it,” the priest said.

Simultaneously, simple wooden crosses were burning. Fire department spokesman Nicholas Prange said his department received an emergency call to report the incident shortly before 5 a.m.

However, when firefighters arrived, one of the crosses fell down, and the other two were no longer on fire, perhaps because someone had put them out, but they did not confirm this.

The pastor explained that although the church is predominantly African American, the church is open to all comers, so all races are represented, including Hispanics.

“We are an African American community, but we are also a Hispanic community,” the pastor said. The small church has been offering religious services for at least the past three decades.

He said he didn’t know why the crosses were to be burned; “There was no previous threat or any indication that would allow us to think that there would be a similar attack.”

The Los Angeles Police Department issued a notice clarifying that it is investigating “arson as a hate crime,” i.e. intolerance, either because it is a Christian community or because the majority of its members are people of color.

“Los Angeles Fire Department investigators have confirmed that a chemical precursor was used to perpetrate the arson,” the police said, coordinating the investigation with the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Control (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Fire. Investigation (FBI).

Mayor Karen Bass admitted that she was hurt because the fire of the crosses of the church of black parishioners put its finger on the wound that such acts have left throughout history, especially in recent years.

Bass called Pastor Howard to assure him that the police would get to the bottom of the investigation “to make sure the person or persons responsible for this act are caught and held accountable,” the mayor said.

“Whether defined as a hate crime or not, what happened in Sylmar, the burning of crosses on a church lawn, evokes a painful history of despicable acts that have terrorized blacks in this country for centuries,” Bass said.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing an increase in hate crimes across the country, especially when it comes to actions against African Americans, and perhaps this incident is part of that worrying trend,” the mayor of Los Angeles added.

Black Angelinos make up just 9 percent of Los Angeles County residents, but account for 46 percent of racial crime victims in 2022, according to a report released by the Los Angeles County Public Affairs Commission late last year.

The same report notes that total crimes against the black community in Los Angeles increased by 30 percent from the previous year.

“Let me be clear,” said Karen Bass, “black hatred no longer exists in Los Angeles.” He added that his thoughts are “with the Sylmar Christian Brotherhood Church Congregation as we continue to forge our path forward together.”

The police, for their part, have asked the public to report any information they have about the burning of the crosses.

A woman named Veronica said that on Wednesday, the day before the fire was lit, she saw crosses thrown down on Polk Street. If they did, they would be raised again before being burned.

The police department also said information was available but limited to what is currently known.

Police have asked anyone with additional information about these crimes to call Detective Allen of the Serious Crime Unit at (213) 486-6270. If someone wants to share information but prefers to remain anonymous, they can call 1-800-222-8477.

Call 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247) outside business hours or on weekends.