Cassa Niedringhaus

cniedringhaus@coloradoan.com

The suspect accused of vandalizing the Islamic Center of Fort Collins on Sunday reportedly admitted to the crime.

Joseph Scott Giaquinto, 35, was arrested Monday after he was identified as a suspect and interviewed by Fort Collins police detectives. During the course of the interview, he "admitted to committing the crime in detail," according to a copy of his arrest affidavit obtained by the Coloradoan on Tuesday afternoon. Detectives identified him as a suspect based on evidence at the scene, but they did not specify what evidence they used.

Giaquinto reportedly told detectives he came onto the Islamic Center premises without permission and caused the damage. Then, he told detectives, he returned to his nearby home to retrieve a Bible, which he brought back to the center and threw inside, according to his affidavit.

When detectives obtained a search warrant for Giaquinto's apartment, they reportedly found more items linking him to the crime, according to his affidavit.

When officers first responded to the center Sunday, they found two large "river-style" rocks and a New Testament Bible on the floor of the mosque's prayer room. They estimated the facility sustained about $3,000 in damage.

Giaquinto was arrested on suspicion of felony criminal mischief, misdemeanor trespassing and misdemeanor bias-motivated crime. He remains in the Larimer County Jail on a $7,500 bond, set by Larimer County Magistrate Matthew Zehe.

Per statute, a bias-motivated crime occurs when people knowingly cause bodily injury, use words or conduct, or destroy property with the intent to intimidate someone because of their actual or perceived race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.

Since the beginning of 2011, Fort Collins police have tallied 19 bias-motivated crime charges — at least eight of which have involved references to people of Middle Eastern descent.

More: Community rallies behind Islamic Center after vandalism

The FBI tallied 257 anti-Islamic hate crimes nationwide in 2015 — a 67 percent increase from 2014. The agency compiles data on hate crimes from nearly 15,000 law enforcement agencies to provide a more comprehensive look at crime trends nationwide.

The defacement of the Fort Collins mosque sent waves of fear through Muslims in the community, and the arrest came as only a "partial comfort," said Islamic Center President Tawfik AboEllail.

Mosque member and Colorado State University senior Israa Eldeiry said she didn't realize the full extent of the damage until her father came home from his morning prayer Sunday and told her what he'd seen.

Mere hours before worshipers gathered to pray at the Islamic Center, a hooded man threw rocks through glass doors and into the prayer room and showered its carpeted floor in glass shards. He overturned outdoor furniture, knocked over bikes locked in the rack and smashed plastic outlet covers.

"It was really scary for me because I was thinking, 'Oh my God. My dad was there literally an hour or two after it happened,' " Eldeiry said. "It could have happened while he was there. It could have happened while anyone was there."

In the wake of the vandalism, the community donated more than $25,000 in an online fundraiser launched on behalf of the mosque. The money will be used for repairs and for security upgrades, AboEllail said

Mosque leaders are discussing hiring Fort Collins police officers to patrol during high-occupancy times, including Friday prayer, as well as contracting with a third-party security firm and upgrading security cameras. Existing security cameras captured grainy footage of the vandalism Sunday.

The facility will also undergo a security assessment so leaders can determine what issues can be remedied, AboEllail said.

The vandalism occurred amid a nationwide spike in anti-Muslim incidents, including threats, attacks and vandalism, said Ibrahim Hooper, the national communications director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

"It really has been a daily occurrence now," Hooper said. "Something that used to happen maybe once a month now is happening almost every day."

Photos: Community shows support for Islamic Center of Fort Collins

He said such incidents send a chill through the American-Muslim community and the ability for Muslims to freely practice their faith.

On March 5, dozens of anti-Muslim fliers were placed on congregants' cars at the Foothills Unitarian Church, the church on Drake Road east of Taft Hill Road that gained attention for the row of signs in its yard designed to signal all are welcome at the church.

Michael Giaquinto, Joseph Giaquinto's father, said he was at a loss for words. He said he and his daughter are exploring what options the family has, and they are seeking legal counsel.

"This whole affair has been exhausting," said Michael Giaquinto, who lives in Fort Collins. "Here in Fort Collins, that sort of thing is not what we do."

Michael Giaquinto said his son was a combat medic in the U.S. Army for eight years, serving in Iraq and Korea, and moved to Fort Collins last year. Joseph Giaquinto is due in court for a first appearance April 4.

Reporter Cassa Niedringhaus covers breaking news for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter: @CassaMN.