For several days, there has been an uproar in Owen Sound about the Muslim Association vandalism incidents that saw an assortment of foodstuffs hurled at their mosque.

This morning, a 22-year-old Owen Sound man appeared in court to face the three charges laid against him, which include:

Two counts of mischief causing damage under $5,000

One separate count of mischief causing damage under $5,000 for vandalizing the newly-opened Popeyes restaurant.

Making The Arrest

The evidence that led to the accused’s arrest was a receipt that had been dropped on the premises.

The receipt in question was for the items purchased for the purpose of vandalizing the Muslim Association building.

Local police officers were able to obtain security camera footage from the grocery store from which the young man purchased the items.

With regards to the vandalism of the local Popeyes, the prosecution cited that the accused could have been motivated to deface the restaurant on account of the eatery’s owners also happening to be Muslim.

Conditions of Release

In an otherwise empty courtroom, the defendant’s father watched on as his son was given his bail terms.

The bail terms given reflected the accused not having a previous criminal record. The accused will have a curfew and face a restriction on alcohol consumption, since it is alleged the young man was inebriated at the time.

The bail conditions also call for the accused to keep a distance from both the Muslim Association as well as the Popeyes restaurant.

Before granting the young man his freedom, the judge passed his condolences on the Owen Sound’s Muslim community.

The judge also cautioned the accused to be careful while in public, for while the allegations of vandalism remain unproven, the incident has really stirred deep emotions in the community.

So far as the situation stands, the Muslim Association has thanked the people of Owen Sound for their support throughout this incident:

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