JOPLIN, Mo. —
A fire early Wednesday at the Islamic Society of Joplin’s mosque is being treated as suspicious, according to police and fire officials.
Capt. Kelly Stephens of the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department said the FBI has been called in to join the investigation, and that tapes from security cameras on the property are being reviewed by authorities. Stephens said footage from the tapes is helping direct leads. He would not say what the tapes revealed.
Stephens said the department may release more information about the case today.
Carl Junction fire Chief Bill Dunn said a passer-by noticed the fire at the mosque at 1302 S. Black Cat Road, and his department got the call at 3:37 a.m.
“There was a fire on the edge of the roof,” Dunn said. “It burned some shingles, probably an area there 4 feet by 6 feet.”
The fire did not burn through the roof, he said.
“If no one had seen it, I am almost certain the fire would have gone ahead and burned,” Dunn said.
Dunn said that after the fire was out, he and others took a look at the roof.
“We noticed a bunch of what looked like paper up there,” he said. “Somebody lit them and threw them up there.”
Rob Sterner, with the Missouri Division of Fire Safety, also was called in.
Stephens said investigators had finished processing the scene Wednesday afternoon and that evidence was being sent off for testing.
“All the credit goes to the good Samaritan who called the fire department,” said Asadullah Ahmed, a member of the mosque. “We are very fortunate.”
Iftikhar Ali, president of the Islamic Society of Joplin, said he was at the property until about midnight Tuesday. He said his family and other community members were lighting fireworks.
“We were having fun and celebrating Independence Day,” Ali said.
He said he received a phone call around 4 a.m. about the fire, and he arrived shortly afterward to find the building surrounded by police cars and firetrucks.
Although the fire is being treated as suspicious, Ali was not discouraged.
“There are good and bad people everywhere,” he said. “There’s still no change in our feelings. Still America. We enjoy life here.”
Ali said the center often holds interfaith services and meetings with churches and synagogues.
“Ignorance is the main factor with these incidents,” Ahmed said. “It increases our resolve to educate more people about what we practice, what our belief system is, so hopefully this will bring more awareness to our community.”
This is the second suspicious fire at the mosque since it opened in 2007. In 2008, the FBI took over an investigation into the torching of the sign for the mosque. That crime was never solved.
Islamic Society
AROUND 50 FAMILIES are members of the Islamic Society of Joplin. The site at 1302 S. Black Cat Road serves as a community center and mosque, according to officials with the mosque.
Crime & Courts
Related Photos
-
Iftikhar Ali (left), president of the Islamic Center of Joplin, and Asadulah Ahmed, a member of the center, on Wednesday talk about a fire that damaged the roof of the center. Globe | Roger Nomer
Discussion
FBI called to investigate fire at Joplin mosque
- Crime & Courts
-
-
No charges to be filed in Joplin shooting case
The nonfatal shooting of a 25-year-old man at a Joplin residence on May 13 has been deemed justified by authorities. Jacob B. Boykin, 21, of Joplin, shot Justin S. Johnson, 25, of Carterville, once in the chest with a small-caliber handgun at 5260 E. Sunny Acres Lane.
-
Alcohol cited as factor in Grand Lake boat crash that killed two college students
Alcohol was one of several factors contributing to a boating accident on Grand Lake earlier this month that claimed the lives of two college students.
-
Hired hand won’t face death penalty in Vernon County murder case
The state has agreed not to seek the death penalty against Jeremy L. Maples in the murder of Belinda J. Beisly, but prosecutors have yet to take the option off the table for the victim’s husband, Bob T. Beisly II.
-
Former IRS worker gets probation after guilty plea to theft of funds
Pittsburg resident and former Internal Revenue Service employee Becky L. Book received two years probation after pleading guilty earlier this year to the theft of $26,449.65 in public funds.
-
Arma mother facing murder charge in sleeping baby’s death
Heather Buckalew fell asleep on a couch with her 4-month-old baby after a night last summer drinking beer with her boyfriend. The boyfriend, Donald Harvey, got up to go to work a few hours later and spotted his son, lying face down on a pillow between the back of the couch and his sleeping mother.
-
Vandals cause $37,000 in damage at Joplin business
A Joplin business owner was the victim of a weekend vandalism spree that resulted in an estimated $37,000 in damages and theft, in addition to putting the company out of service for at least two days.
-
Two plead guilty to post-tornado wire theft
Two defendants pleaded guilty Monday to stealing copper wire from utility poles in the wake of the May 22, 2011, tornado that struck Joplin. Timothy M. Silveria, 45, of Joplin, and Nycoa K. Kracht, 32, of Laurel, Ind., entered open pleas of guilty in Jasper County Circuit Court to felony counts of theft from a public utility.
-
Firefighters douse blaze inside wall; no injuries cited
The Joplin Fire Department used thermal-imaging equipment Wednesday night to detect a hidden fire inside a residence.
-
Exeter resident hurt in accident in Barry County
An Exeter resident was injured in a single-vehicle accident at 2:15 p.m. Thursday on Missouri Highway 76, two miles west of Exeter in Barry County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
-
Pittsburg couple arrested; children taken out of home
PITTSBURG, Kan. — A Pittsburg couple was arrested and their three children removed from their care Wednesday when narcotics officers allegedly seized marijuana, methamphetamine and other items in a search of their home.
- More Crime & Courts Headlines
-
No charges to be filed in Joplin shooting case
Sheriff: No Sign Killing of 2 Kids Was Planned
Obama Defends Drone Strikes, With Limits
Raw: Jurors Deadlock on Jodi Arias Penalty
Boy Scouts Decision "First Step" Say Activists
Raw: Utah Teen Arrested in Death of His Brothers
Closer Look at Okla. School Where Children Died
Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police
Boy Scouts Mom Supports Gay Inclusiveness
"Be Ready": NOAA Warns of Busy Hurricane Season
SeaWorld: Penguins Are Coolest Thing in Florida
Obama Renews Call to Close Gitmo
Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense
Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
