Burglaries, vandalism at Islamic center in St. Anthony under investigation

Calls have been made for a series of break-ins and vandalism at a recently opened Islamic center in St. Anthony to be investigated as hate crimes.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota (CAIR-MN) issued a press release Wednesday describing the damage and sharing images of suspected burglars, all of whom appear to be children, at The Tibyan Center.

The Tibyan Center announced plans to open a youth-focused center and mosque at 2401 NE Lowry Ave. in May, but since then it has been the victim of multiple break-ins, which CAIR-MN says has caused an estimated $20,000 in damage.

The first reported break-in occurred on May 29, when fire extinguishers were sprayed and computers and other items were stolen. This was followed by a window being broken on June 15, and further break-ins reported on June 27, June 29, and June 30.

Three more break-ins were recorded in July, the first being on July 2, with another attempt being stopped on July 7 by a member of the center. The latest incident on July 16 involved the breaking of windows and additional vandalism.

St. Anthony Police Department has been made aware of these incidents, and confirm they are under active investigation, but did not there are no signs on the buildings that indicate it's a religious facility.

"There is no exterior signage that would indicate the plans for the building or who owns it," says Police Chief Jeff Spiess. "The owner indicated to us that he believes the crime is bias-motivated."

Security cameras show footage of some of these break-ins, with some faces being masked and others not. However, from the footage the suspects seem to be young white boys, middle school to high-school aged, with one wearing a backpack.

The videos show them running around the center, laughing and recording videos of their crime. It is unknown if these video have made it to any public forums.

The attempt on July 7 was also caught on security footage, showing a group of boys, wearing face coverings and hats, attempting to break-in by yanking on the door. They are seen running away when someone inside comes and starts waving a flashlight at them.

“CAIR-Minnesota is deeply concerned by these repeated attacks, particularly given the rise in attacks on Minnesota mosques and centers” said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR-Minnesota.

"We believe these attacks may be part of a broader effort to intimidate and harm Muslim communities and we call on law enforcement and the community to help in bringing these perpetrators into custody."

The center has not opened to the public yet, and is currently finalizing its establishment with the city. The center is expected to open in late summer.