LOS ANGELES _ A 29-year old Simi Valley man has been arrested and booked on suspicion of committing a hate crime after authorities say he stabbed an apparent worshiper near a mosque.
At about 11:15 p.m. Saturday, police in Simi Valley, northwest of Los Angeles in Ventura County, received multiple reports about people fighting in a shopping center's parking lot, said Sgt. Adam Darough. The shopping center is "adjacent" to a mosque, Darough said.
After officers arrived and separated the people fighting, they discovered that a man at the scene had been stabbed, Darough said.
"During their investigation, (officers) discovered a suspect had confronted a worshiper from the mosque, and after a verbal altercation, they began to fight," Darough said. "During the fight, (the suspect) stabbed the victim."
Police found the suspect, John Matteson, nearby, Darough said. Matteson was taken into custody and booked into Ventura County Jail on suspicion of a hate crime, Darough said.
Authorities did not provide additional details about the victim, but said he was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries and is in stable condition.
"We're investigating whether or not this was instigated by (the victim's) appearance and the association with the mosque," Darough said. "We're quite concerned that this occurred. We want to keep people of all faiths safe in the city."
