Early Tuesday, a hooded man walked up to the North Austin Muslim Community Center with a gasoline can and began to douse the building, according to Austin fire officials.

He approached around 12:38 a.m. when no one was at the mosque, and tried to light pieces of paper to set the building ablaze.

“He poured a lot of gasoline,” Austin Fire Department arson investigator Andy Reardon said Wednesday.

Reardon, who is leading the investigation into the incident — with assistance from Austin police and federal investigators with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — vowed to catch and prosecute the would-be arsonist.

The attempted arson is the latest apparent attack on the mosque and its community members since a string of vandalism incidents last year.

• On Sept. 2, the glass doors at the facility's entrance were found shattered. Someone had broken windows and slashed tires on vehicles in the mosque's parking lot.

• On Sept. 13, more tires were slashed at the mosque, including those of a van and security guard's vehicle.

• Then on Sept. 17, the New Medina Market, a nearby store specializing in Middle Eastern foods, had its glass doors shattered.

Police released surveillance footage showing a person of interest whom they believed was behind the incidents, but no arrests were ever made.

“The Austin Police Department takes these crimes very seriously. Anytime a specific group is targeted or attacked in our community, our entire community is being targeted or attacked. As your police chief, these types of crimes will not be tolerated.” Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said at the time.

Surveillance cameras also captured footage of the arsonist in Tuesday's incident. He was wearing a blue Nike hoodie, and blue jeans, and may have arrived in a light-colored Ford F-150 pickup.

Officials said they are still in the early stages of the investigation, and couldn’t say whether they believe the same person could have been behind all of the cases. However, many people at the center think it was.

“We need to put pressure on Austin police to take this case more seriously,” said Adnan Suleiman, vice president of the center. “Now it’s an arson. It’s a higher crime.”

That said, Suleiman also thanked the city's fire and police departments as well as the community at large for their help and support.

"We at (the center) believe we are blessed receiving this outburst support," he said.

Austin police officers have been at the center patrolling prayer times since Tuesday, and have increased patrols at night as well, Suleiman said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477.

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