Suspect arrested in Moorhead mosque vandalism

Moorhead, Minn., police say they've made an arrest in connection to the vandalism at a mosque there over the weekend.

Authorities are calling the incident a hate crime. Members of the mosque arrived Sunday morning to find racist and discriminatory graffiti sprayed around the premises, apparently overnight. Surveillance video showed a grainy image of the suspect, with little detail.

Police say they got a tip from staff at a local store about a man who recently purchased spray paint whose clothing matched that of the person seen in the surveillance image.

That led investigators to a 22-year-old Moorhead man, who was booked Tuesday night on suspicion of felony harassment and criminal damage to property. He does not yet face formal criminal charges in court.

On Monday, hundreds of people showed up to help clean up the damage. A pair of fundraisers have also brought in more than $60,000 to fund cleanup and more security for the mosque.

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