Police investigating explosion, vandalism at Southern California church

Jan. 23 (UPI) — Police are investigating an explosion and vandalism at a church in southern California.

At 1 a.m. Saturday, police had been known as to First Works Baptist Church in El Monte, Calif., about 16 miles east of Los Angeles, the do they came all the arrangement in which by the partitions of the church sprayed with graffiti and smoke popping out the church’s window.

Police initially do thought the window had been broken, however then realized they had been blown out by an explosion.

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents responded alongside with El Monte Police Department officers and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to what the FBI known as an “IED attack” — or improvised explosive intention — attack at the church.

“Bomb Technicians and an Evidence Response Team are processing the scene which sustained damage. No injuries are reported,” the FBI Los Angeles field voice of job mentioned in an announcement.

Police did no longer present any longer tiny print.

FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller mentioned the bureau is desirous about abominate crime as a most likely motive however that nothing has been dominated out so early in the investigation.

In step with native media reports, the church used to be launched three years ago and has been the focus of some native protests and a petition to the metropolis’s mayor to shut the church down which ability of its condemnation of same-intercourse relationships.

The church’s web do says members judge “that homosexuality is a sin and an abomination which God punishes with the dying penalty.”

The church has been designated as a abominate neighborhood by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

A neighborhood known as Deal with El Monte Pleasant, which had planned a voice Sunday, issued a assertion Saturday condemning the vandalism and canceling the demonstration.

Pastor Bruce Mejia has no longer commented on the attack.