Hate Crime Suspect Arrested

 
Los Angeles: On Thursday, November 1, 2001, at approximately 12:30 a.m., detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Pacific Community Police Station arrested 35-year-old Emad Ibrahim Saad, a resident of Los Angeles. Saad is suspected in a string of hate-related grand-thefts, burglaries and vandalisms that occurred at several Los Angeles and Culver City Catholic churches and mosques. The arrest was made in partnership with the Culver City Police Department.
The series of crimes began with the burglary of Islamic literature at a Los Angeles mosque on October 24, 2001. Subsequent crimes included felony vandalism at a Los Angeles Catholic church on the same date, felony vandalism at another Los Angeles Catholic church on October 25, 2001, a grant-theft and vandalism at a Culver City Catholic church on October 28, 2001, and a vandalism at a Los Angeles tabernacle on October 30, 2001. The vandalisms included damage to statues at most of the churches. Saad is suspected of leaving the Islamic literature at a majority of the crime scenes. Detectives have been in constant communication with members of local Islamic Centers, and the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese during this investigation.
Saad was booked for Vandalism of a Place of Worship and the bail was set at $70,000.00.
As of this release, detectives believe that Saad acted alone in committing these crimes. There is no evidence to support the belief that these crimes were an organized effort by one religious group against another.
For further information, contact Pacific Area Detective Kurt Wachter at 301-202-4506.
This press release was prepared by Public Information Officer Jason Lee, Media Relation Section, 213-485-3586.