Man arrested in fire-bombing of California mosque after cops receive tip

A 23-year-old man was in jail on Saturday, a day after he was arrested on suspicion of carrying out a hate crime and arson, online jail records showed, and the Los Angeles Times reported that the arrest was in connection with a fire at a Southern California mosque.

The Times said the fire was set at a Riverside County mosque. The paper, citing jail records and anonymous law enforcement sources, identified the man as Carl Dial.

Representatives for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, which is leading the investigation into the fire on Friday at the Islamic Society of Coachella Valley, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Online jail records for Dial showed he was arrested on Friday on suspicion of commission of a hate crime, arson, maliciously setting a fire and burglary.

(Reporting by Sam Mircovich in Coachella, Calif., Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by David Gregorio)