Man attempts to enter Culver City mosque, stabs security guard
By Sam Catanzaro
Police have arrested a man for stabbing a security guard and attempting to steal their gun after trying to enter a Culver City mosque.
According to the Culver City Police Department, on July 3 at 10:10 p.m. officers received a radio call of a fight in progress at King Fahad Mosque (10980 Washington Boulevard). Upon the officer’s arrival, they saw that the security guard for the facility had suffered several lacerations to his head and was bleeding “profusely”. Paramedics responded and transported the security guard to a local hospital for further evaluation.
“An on-scene investigation revealed that an adult male suspect attempted to enter the Mosque, however, was denied access by the security guard due to COVID-19 restrictions. The suspect then attacked, and attempted to remove the firearm from the security guard’s holster. During the attack, the suspect was able to remove a set of keys from the security guard’s belt and stab him in the head numerous times. Several parishioners intervened and were able to physically restrain the suspect until CCPD arrived on scene,” said Manuel Cid, Acting Chief of Police in a press relese.
The suspect, Raul Cisneros, was placed under arrest for Assault with a Deadly Weapon and booked at CCPD headquarters.
According to the CCPD, the assault was an isolated incident and is not being investigated as a hate crime. Westside Today has reached out to CCPD asking why the incident is not being investigated as a hate crime.
“The incident stemmed from an individual who was upset because he was denied entry into the Mosque. According to witnesses, the individual assaulted the security guard out of anger of not being allowed entry into the Mosque. At no point were any racial or religious slurs made towards the victim that would fall under California Penal Code 422.6, indicating a hate crime occurred or the attack was racially motivated. According to numerous witnesses at the scene, the crime appeared to be an isolated incident,” a CCPD spokesperson wrote in an email to Westside Today.
We have also reached out to King Fahad Mosque for comment.
The case will be presented to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office for criminal filing consideration, according to the CCPD.
