In a disturbing incident, three crosses were set ablaze outside Sylmar Christian Fellowship Church, a predominantly Black congregation in Los Angeles, early Thursday morning. A good Samaritan extinguished the flames with a garden hose, and authorities believe the crosses may have also self-extinguished. The middle cross was knocked to the ground, and investigators found evidence of a fire accelerant.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), and the FBI, are actively investigating the incident through the House of Worship Taskforce. This collaborative effort allows for the sharing of resources and information, including the use of an accelerant-sniffing K-9 unit from the ATF. The LAPD and FBI will investigate the incident as a potential hate crime.

Sylmar Christian Fellowship Church, which has served the community for nearly three decades, has never experienced such an act of vandalism or threat before, according to the LAPD. Currently, there are no suspects or known motives, and investigators are seeking witnesses and surveillance footage.

Pastor Pierre Howard, in a press conference following the incident, expressed his dismay, stating, "It's a shame that people still want to do things like this in this day and age." He expressed hope that the perpetrator acted impulsively and made a poor decision. Historically, cross burnings have been linked to racist intimidation against Black communities and anti-Christian sentiment. This incident follows a similar event in Mississippi earlier this year, where a man was sentenced for burning a cross to intimidate his Black neighbors.

Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding the cross burning to contact the LAPD.