Man arrested in vandalism of mosque in Northwest Philadelphia, police say
Security cameras at the Masjidullah Center for Human Excellence in the city’s Cedarbrook section recorded a man painting “Jesus Christ” several times and other symbols.
Police have arrested a man for vandalizing a Northwest Philadelphia mosque on Friday in what may have been a hate crime.
On Tuesday morning, the District Attorney’s Office identified 47-year-old Johnathan Boone as the alleged culprit. He was charged with criminal mischief, institutional vandalism, and related offenses. Boone had an active bench warrant for a 2014 case of criminal mischief and harassment.
Boone was apprehended after a Philadelphia police officer recognized him in a video the department circulated internally, according to a statement from the District Attorney’s office.
Security cameras at the Masjidullah Center for Human Excellence at Limekiln Pike and Washington Lane in the city’s Cedarbrook section recorded a man painting “Jesus Christ” several times and other symbols on the doors of the center.
Another wall was vandalized with a Star of David with an “X” drawn over it.
The Masjidullah Center for Human Excellence houses a mosque, school, and community and business center, and is known to host faith events for as many as 500 people.
Opened as a synagogue in 1947, the building was converted to the West Oak Lane Church of God in the 1970s. The Masjidullah group purchased the complex for $1 million in 2013.