The pastor of the First Works Baptist Church was convicted.
The FBI and local authorities are investigating an explosion and vandalism in a church in Southern California known for its controversial pastor and anti-LGBT views.
According to the FBI, the First Works Baptist Church in El Monte, California, just east of downtown Los Angeles, was blown up by an explosion in the early hours of the morning. When there was a response to the scene just after 1 a.m. local time, smoke came out of the windows and the outside of the church was covered in graffiti, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
“It appears that the walls of the church as well as all the windows have been vandalized,” El Monte police lt.Christopher Cano told reporters on Saturday. “[The windows] it first appeared to be broken, then we realized that the windows had not been smashed, that it had actually blown out of some explosion. ‘
The FBI referred to the blast as an “IED attack” and said bomb technicians were investigating the scene.
No one was injured in the blast, police said.
The First Works Baptist Church and its pastor, Bruce Mejia, have developed a reputation for inflammatory language, which is considered by many to be hate speech. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups, named First Works Baptist Church in 2019 as a hate group for its anti-LGBT stance.
An online petition asking the mayor of El Monte to force the First Works Baptist Church out of the city has received more than 15,000 signatures.
In reports and on social media, Mejia strongly opposes gay marriage. He has also used his social media accounts to repeatedly mock President Joe Biden and is strongly opposed to the vaccinations and regularly shares memes rejecting the COVID-19 vaccine.
Commenting on The New York Times after the blast, Mejia said: “It’s not really going to deter us from doing what we always do.”
“We’re not afraid of this. It’s just a little bit in the way, and we’re still planning to have church tomorrow, of course not in this current place, but we’re still planning to have church and as soon as it’s all over. said and done, we’re going back, ‘he added.
Los Angeles County Superintendent Hilda Solis, who represents the district where the blast took place, said in a statement that “violence is never the answer, not even in response to hate speech.”
“Although we do not yet know the motive, I am aware of the anti-LGBTQ + and misogyny sermons given by the pastor of First Works Baptist Church; and my office referred to matters concerning the pastor at County’s Human Rights Commission, which worked with the city of El Monte to reduce the situation. ‘
“I value inclusivity, diversity and equality. I also support the right to protest peacefully; however, this attack is wrong and it is dangerous,” Solis added. “I call on city leaders, church leaders and civic leaders to come together and work together to address hate issues in our community.”
El Monte Mayor Jessica Ancona wrote on Twitter, “This early morning incident with the First Works Baptist Church is of great concern to me and all of us in our great city of El Monte. I call for a full and thorough investigation by all the necessary institutions and entities. FBI, LA County Sheriffs, LA County Fire, El Monte PD including the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission As your mayor, I will always make sure the city of El Monte remains an example of politeness, respect, and inclusion of all people around the country. ‘
According to the organizers, Keep El Monte Friendly, a protest that was to take place outside the church on Sunday canceled.
“We kindly encourage everyone not to use violence and not to fight hatred with hatred,” the group wrote in a second Facebook post late Saturday. “Once again, Keep El Monte Friendly was created to unite the community and create a safe space for all. We will continue to overcome this struggle gradually through peace.”
The FBI has asked anyone with information about the blast to call 310-477-6565.