Man charged with leaving fake bomb at Virginia mosque
Police say 27-year-old who left pretend explosive device at Dar al-Hijrah mosque was acting out of anti-Islam sentiment
FALLS CHURCH, Virginia — Authorities say a man has been charged with leaving a fake bomb at a Virginia mosque.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue investigators have charged 27-year-old Chester Gore with using a hoax explosive device and entering a property to cause damage based on religious conviction.
Authorities say the fake explosive device was found Thursday at the Dar al-Hijrah mosque in the Falls Church section of Fairfax County.
Fire and rescue officials say Gore also caused $200 in damage to a fence gate.
Gore was being held Monday at the county jail without bond.
NBC’s Washington affiliate quoted the mosque’s outreach director, Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, saying that an intruder tried to enter the iron fence around the mosque about 2 a.m. Thursday and threw two smoke bombs and a Molotov cocktail toward the building. Members of the mosque who live in the neighborhood saw him, confronted him and he left, the station quoted the mosque leader as saying.
Online records show his case has been assigned to the public defender’s office, which did not immediately respond to a telephone message Monday night.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.