John Matteson hate crime: Police are investigating a stabbing which they say was predicated on a Muslim worshipper’s dress and his faith outside a Simi Valley mosque.
John Matteson a 29 year old California man has been arrested after allegedly stabbing a Muslim man leaving a suburban mosque near Los Angeles.
The stabbing at a Simi Valley mosque came as the victim and his family were leaving the religious facility Saturday night, circa 11.15pm police said.
Upon confronting the worshipper a fight erupted leading to John H. Matteson stabbing the man in the stomach.
Upon his arrest, Simi Valley police Sgt. Adam Darough said the suspect’s statements and actions led to a hate crime charge reported KABC-TV .
Pursuant to the incident, the police sergeant told via Los Angeles Times: ‘We’re investigating whether or not this was instigated by [the victim’s] appearance and the association with the mosque,’
Adding: ‘We’re quite concerned that this occurred. We want to keep people of all faiths safe in the city.’
Matteson faces several felony charges in the attack, including violation of civil rights — a hate crime. He also faces criminal threats and disturbing the peace while jailed in Ventura County. The man currently remains in jail in lieu of $25,000 bail.
Police said the victim was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries and was expected to recover.
Of note, Matteson online court records reveal Matteson having a lengthy criminal history, including multiple convictions in Ventura County.
#JohnMatteson #TheRightStuff faces hate crime charge in stabbing outside California #mosque https://t.co/LKxqPmpQvl pic.twitter.com/z4YUeXJcsC
— No Libtards (@rjv101) December 12, 2016
According to heavy, the man was most recently convicted of disturbing the peace in October 2016 along with being arrested in Simi Valley for public intoxication in June 2016 where Matteson pleaded guilty a month later.
In November 2015, Matteson was arrested in Simi Valley on several charges, including criminal threats, and several enhancements for prior convictions, but the case was dismissed in 2016.
Matteson was convicted of making terroristic threats in April 2015. He was also convicted of disturbing the peace in that case.
The alleged hate crime attack comes amid a startling surge in Islamophobic incidents following President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory in November. Last month, at least six mosques in California, including Los Angeles, Fresno and San Jose, received threatening letters addressed to ‘the children of Satan.’
In New York City, a Muslim teen found herself being taunted while riding the NYC subway recently, with demands that she take off her hijab. The incident led to the 18 year old girl fleeing her family home days after.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has received nearly 200 hate reports targeting Muslims nationally following the election.
A report via the latimes documents the FBI reporting last month a 67% increase in hate crimes against Muslims in 2015 compared with the previous year. Since the election, civil rights groups have documented hundreds of incidents around the country that targeted Muslims, blacks, Jews, Latinos, immigrants and LGBT people.
During Trump’s campaign, the Republican rallied for a Muslim migrant ban.
