Authorities in Los Angeles have opened up a hate crime investigation after someone set fire to three crosses outside of a church in the San Fernando Valley Thursday morning.

The crosses were on the property of the Sylmar Christian Fellowship Church in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Sylmar.

KTLA-TV reported police were called to the church at around 4:45 a.m. PT Thursday morning about the fires.

A neighbor had already brought a garden hose to the church parking lot and put out the blazes.

Images posted on Twitter of the three crosses showed one of them had fallen after it was torched by an unknown arsonist.

Investigators putting up yellow crime scene tape outside a church in #Sylmar. Where 3 crosses were set on fire early today. Authorities are looking into a possible #HateCrime. @knxnews pic.twitter.com/Y311IjeTDU

— Jon Baird (@KNXBaird) July 6, 2023

BREAKING: Arsonist sets three crosses in front of the Sylmar Christian Fellowship Church on fire.
The House of Worship Task Force, comprised in part by the LAPD, LAFD, ATF and the FBI, investigating this as possible hate crime. We’re live. @foxla pic.twitter.com/TvDam9BRio

— Gigi Graciette (@GigiGraciette) July 6, 2023

DEVELOPING! Los Angeles: Burned crosses at Sylmar Christain church lead LAPD to a hate crime investigation. pic.twitter.com/j1HxuMKfce

— AlphaFox (@Alphafox78) July 6, 2023

All were charred while the structure was undamaged.

“Probably an accelerant was used, but we’re not sure at this time,” an official with the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

The department told KABC-TV, “Upon arrival, firefighters found the flames to be out (and a garden hose on the ground nearby), and only smoldering wood remained.”

As part of standard protocol, the blazes are being investigated as a potential hate crime because the target was a house of worship.

The LAFD and Los Angeles Police Department are working together with ATF and the FBI to investigate who might have targeted the church.

Police had offered no suspect description as of Thursday afternoon.

The church shared an image of the targeted crosses on Facebook and said members are “doing well.”

“Good morning Family and Friends! We want to let everyone know that we are doing well and the church is Good,” the Sylmar Christian Fellowship Church wrote.

The post added, “We thank you for your prayers.”

The church offers a number of services to its community, including food drop-offs, regular church services, outreach to criminal offenders and Vacation Bible School.

The FBI’s report on hate crimes against Christians for 2021 showed at least three instances of arson and dozens of other insances of property crimes.

The bureau has yet to release similar data for 2022.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post Anti-Christian Hate Crime Case Opened After Disturbing Discovery on Church’s Front Lawn appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

A grocery store employee in Colorado says he was fired after filming shoplifters stealing about $500 in laundry detergent.

The incident took place at a King Soopers store on Father’s Day.

The former employee, Santino Burrola, said that he was alerted to the ongoing theft, followed them outside, and began to film the crime.

“Sure enough when I looked there was a guy already half-headed out with a cart full of laundry detergent scent boosters what have you,” Burrola told CBS Colorado.

“My first instinct was to record,” Burrola continued.

The employee attempted to reason with the criminals, and can be heard in the video saying, “Really bro? You gotta resort to this? The economy’s not that bad.”

Burrola approached the vehicle and ripped a covering off the license plate so that he could film the number and potentially help police capture them later.

“I just recorded said what I said and got so close to where I was able to rip the tinfoil off the license plate,” said Burrola.

The former employee posted the video online, and it went viral — even being shared by Snoop Dogg.

“So I posted it on TikTok hoping that somebody would recognize them,” said Burrola.

When Burrola went in for his next shift he was informed that he was suspended — and a week later he says that he was fired.

“I and the union rep sat down with them and they [King Soopers] recommended termination and so I got fired that day,” said Burrola.

The store reportedly has a policy against employees intervening in thefts.

“All I did was just record criminals and reveal them!” said Burrola, explaining that he feels he was punished for doing the right thing.

“I would never let any criminal conduct slide especially when it’s happening right in front of me,” said Burrola. “I hope this changes the policy, in the handbook or the shoplifting policy and gives power back to retail workers like myself.”

In a statement about Burrola’s firing, a King Sooper spokesperson told CBS, “We are disappointed by the increased level of crime across retail establishments and the impact these incidents have on our associates and customers. We remain committed to working in partnership with local law enforcement to address this issue, as safety remains a top priority.”

“We have security measures in place to help prevent crime and de-escalate such confrontations to minimize the risk to our associates. While we are unable to comment on personnel matters, we value our hardworking associates and their safe return home,” the statement continued.

Thanks to Burrola’s actions, the thieves were caught.

“Arapahoe County Sheriff’s investigators located the registered owner of the car who said he loaned it to a friend,” CBS reports. “The driver, Jorge Pantoja, 32, the man in the green shirt, was then contacted, arrested and stated he picked up two other males at the Light Rail station at I-25 and Belleview and offered them an opportunity to make some money. The men told the driver their names were Robert and Bugsy. Law enforcement is still trying to locate the other two men. Pantoja is in custody at the Adams County Detention Facility on unrelated felony charges. He has also been charged with a Class 2 Misdemeanor of Theft/Shoplifting.”

The post Colorado Grocery Store Employee Fired for Filming Shoplifters Stealing $500 in Laundry Detergent (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.