A Florida man was arrested on Wednesday on charges of setting fire to a mosque visited by the man behind a shooting at a gay nightclub in Florida in June , police said.
Investigators said the suspect, Joseph Schreiber, 32, had posted anti-Islamic posts on social media in the past. The case is being prosecuted as a hate crime under Florida law and Schreiber faces at least 30 years in prison if convicted.
Schreiber is accused of starting a blaze on Monday that heavily damaged the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce. This is the mosque that was visited by Omar Mateen, who shot dead 49 and wounded 53 others at a gay nightclub in June in Florida.
The fire broke out at at the shrine around 12:30 am Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Monday, which coincided with Eid and the 15th anniversary of 9/11. This had led investigators to brand the incident an arson attack. No one was inside the building at the time.
A surveillance video recovered showed a man riding up to the building on a motorcycle, getting off the bike and approaching the mosque with a bottle of liquid and papers moments before flames erupted, reported police.
Police suspect Schreiber is behind the attack since he owns a motorcycle similar to the one seen in the video. Tips from the public led investigators to the suspect’s home, where a search turned up additional evidence tying him to the crime.
An examination of Schreiber’s social media account also uncovered “multiple anti-Islamic posts and comments,” authorities said.
A Facebook page apparently belonging to the suspect - created under his name with photos resembling his booking photo - include a message posted on July 12 that said “ALL ISLAM IS RADICAL, and should be considered TERRORIST AND CRIMANALS” .
Schreiber, who was being held without bond, was still being questioned by police following his arrest. He is expected to make his first court appearance on Thursday.
He has been charged with arson, and his status as a “prison release re-offender” qualifies him for a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 30 years if convicted. And as a “habitual felony offender” whose criminal record includes armed robbery, Schreiber also would be eligible for a life term, police said.
The Fort Pierce Islamic Center has reported numerous threats of violence and intimidation since it was identified publicly as Mateen’s place of worship. In June, a motorcycle gang circled the property and shouted at its members, and in July, a Muslim man was beaten outside the mosque.
(This copy has been edited for length.)
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