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Controversy Stirs Over an Attempt to Burn Down a Los Angeles Mormon Church
A Temple Church of Latter-day Saints in West Los Angeles is under careful watch as police are looking for the man who allegedly tried to set it on fire.
Three hours before a suspicious fire appeared in the church garden on May 17, a man was caught on tape walking up to the church steps with combustible material inside his backpack and a thermo cup, according to police. He then realized the doors were locked and walked away. LAPD says the suspect is in his late 20s and is either Middle Eastern or of Asian Indian decent.
Officials are considering the controversy surrounding the Mormon Church in their investigation. According to the LGBT POV, an LAPD spokesperson labeled the arson attempt as a hate crime and said they have ruled no one out in terms of looking for the suspect within the LGBT community.
It is no surprise there are tensions between the Mormon Church and the LGBT community after the passage of Prop 8, but until there are more facts no assumptions can be made.
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