Fire that destroyed South Texas mosque ruled arson
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VICTORIA, Texas (AP) - Federal investigators say a fire that destroyed a South Texas mosque has been ruled arson and at this time there's no evidence of a hate crime.
A $30,000 reward was offered Wednesday for information leading to arrests and indictments over the Jan. 28 pre-dawn fire at the Victoria Islamic Center.
A statement from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Houston says investigators determined the fire was intentionally set. Senior Special Agent Nicole Strong says at this point there's no evidence of a hate crime.
Victoria Fire Chief Taner Drake says investigators are working to determine who started the blaze. Nobody was hurt.
ATF, the Victoria Islamic Center and Crime Stoppers each offered a $10,000 reward.
Authorities say the mosque was burglarized about a week before the fire.