Teenager in Spokane, WA Faces Possible Hate Crime Charge Washington, DC – Following an incident of vandalism and a break-in this past weekend at a Spokane, WA Gurdwara, the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), the oldest national Sikh American civil rights advocacy group, has learned that a teenager has been arrested in connection with the crime. On April 22, SMART learned about the weekend break-in involving racist graffiti spray-painted on the gurdwara’s walls and the theft of an undisclosed amount of money and other materials. SMART contacted law enforcement authorities as soon as it learned about the incident, including local police, the Department of Justice, and the FBI. These officials assured a thorough investigation, and the suspect was booked into juvenile detention on suspicion of second-degree burglary and faces a possible hate crime charge. There has been an outpouring of support from the local community which denounced the crime and has come out in support of the Spokane Sikh community. Students at the Baxter Center School located near the gurdwara helped clean and repair the gurdwara. Neighbors tipped off police detectives leading to the teenager’s arrest who lives not far from the gurdwara. On behalf of the Sikh community, SMART thanks the Spokane community, the students and employees of Baxter Center School for their support and assistance.
