Records: Man charged with arson at Islamic Center of Tacoma posted ‘... ready for war?’
A man suspected of trying to burn down the Islamic Center of Tacoma had been posting on social media about religion and government conspiracies in the months leading up to the arson, according to court documents.
On Wednesday, Pierce County prosecutors charged Angel Joseph Rodriguez, 38, with first-degree arson in connection with the Oct. 11 fire at the mosque on Bridgeport Way West.
He was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon.
Nobody was injured in the blaze, though nine people were inside the building worshiping when the fire started.
Charging papers give this account of the crime:
Rodriguez went to a drug store about 7:15 p.m. on Oct. 11 and asked for Styrofoam cups. An employee told him the store did not carry that item.
“The male then said that there were other ways to burn down a mosque and left the store,” prosecutors wrote in the probable cause statement.
Employees called 911.
Less than an hour later, a fire was reported at the Islamic Center of Tacoma just blocks away.
West Pierce firefighters doused the flames, and investigators found a melted plastic anti-freeze container on the roof, records say.
Witnesses reported seeing a man throw something flammable on the roof before jogging away. The same witnesses later said he was the same man from the drug store incident after seeing his picture on a Crimestoppers bulletin.
Sheriff’s deputies identified Rodriguez after being called to his University Place home Oct. 20 by someone concerned for his girlfriend’s safety.
Rodriguez allegedly was stopping his girlfriend and her two children from leaving but let them go when deputies came by to do a welfare check.
Rodriguez’s girlfriend also identified him on the Crimestoppers bulletin, records say.
Starting in September, Rodriguez had allegedly been posting religious and government conspiracy-related content on Facebook.
“Of note is a posting that the defendant made on the day of the mosque arson that stated, ‘Are you all ready for war?’” records say.
Other posts said, “Our ancestors are calling for vengeance” and “Who wants to overthrow the US government with Jesus,” prosecutors wrote in charging papers.
Rodriguez was taken into custody Tuesday.
Although his motive for the arson remains unknown, prosecutors said they might charge him with a hate crime if there is evidence he started the fire because of discriminatory beliefs.
Shortly after the fire, Gov. Jay Inslee visited the mosque to denounce the arson.
“The Muslim community’s resilience and faith continues to shine, and we stand in solidarity, as an attack on one is an attack on all,” Inslee said.
A fundraiser to help rebuild the mosque was at $332,000 Wednesday.
“Our community now feels homeless after this tragedy has befallen us leaving us without a Mesjid to pray in and that we once called home,” worshipers wrote on the fundraising page.
This story was originally published October 27, 2021 at 11:34 AM.
