Missouri man accused of setting fire at Islamic center is charged with hate crime
A southeast Missouri man accused of setting fire to an Islamic center in Cape Girardeau in April has been charged with a federal hate crime, the U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday.
Nicholas J. Proffitt, who has a history of vandalizing mosques, was indicted in connection to the April 24 fire at the Cape Girardeau Islamic Center. He is charged with offenses that include damaging religious property and using fire to commit a federal felony.
Proffitt, of Cape Girardeau, had been arrested by local police days after the fire, which badly damaged the center.
Cape Girardeau County prosecutors charged him with first-degree arson, burglary and property damage motivated by discrimination.
The charges were enhanced because Proffitt was motivated by “the religion of the people who worship at the Islamic Center,” according to the Cape Girardeau Police Department.
After Proffitt’s arrest, the Council on American-Islamic Relations urged federal officials to file hate crime charges against Proffitt, noting he was convicted and served time for two felony property damage counts in 2009 for vandalizing the same mosque.
The recent fire was discovered before 5 a.m. April 24, at the outset of the Muslim holy month Ramadan.
Between 12 and 15 people inside had to be evacuated. No one was injured.
Federal prosecutors said the center’s video security system showed Proffitt throwing objects through a window, then lobbing two containers into the center through the broken glass.
He stepped into the building, picked up the containers and began pouring an apparent liquid accelerant before he lit a fire that began immediately, prosecutors said.
Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn has said the fire was “especially harmful” because it was set during Ramadan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
