San Francisco prosecutors charged a 51-year-old man in connection with an antisemitic and homophobic vandalism case in the city’s Western Addition neighborhood over the weekend.
Sadat Mousa faces multiple felony charges after allegedly spray-painting swastikas and hate messages on a church and nearby property on Saturday, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. Mousa is charged with two counts of felony vandalism with hate crime enhancements, two counts of felony vandalism of a place of worship with hate crime enhancements, felony placement of a swastika and one misdemeanor vandalism count.
According to court documents, Mousa allegedly used gold spray paint and markers around 7:48 a.m. that day to vandalize the Central Seventh Day Adventist Church and nearby objects, including a mailbox, a utility box and a parking meter near the corner of California and Broderick streets. Investigators say the messages included swastikas and antisemitic and homophobic slurs referencing Adolf Hitler and Hamas.
Police later found a carpet with a swastika and a table with the phrase “Hitler is a real Hero” in Mousa’s possession, prosecutors said. Authorities also cited social media videos allegedly posted by Mousa in which he expressed antisemitic and homophobic views and made threatening gestures.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins’ office said they would seek to have Mousa held without bail pending trial because of what prosecutors described as a public safety risk.
Authorities ask anyone with information to contact the San Francisco Police Department tip line at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with “SFPD”.