By Paul Jurgens
FARGO, N.D. (KFGO) – A Moorhead Man arrested for vandalizing a Mosque in south Moorhead has been charged with felony criminal damage to property and harassment with bias.
22-year-old Benjamin Enderle is accused of spray painting hate messages on the outside of the building including “Death to Islam.” The charges say Enderle admitted that he was responsible and told police he did it as a joke and to get a reaction from the community and the media.
He was arrested after a loss prevention officer at a Fargo Walmart reviewed store security footage that showed Enderle buying red spray paint.
KVRR Local News
April 28, 2021
MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) – Moorhead Police are crediting a Walmart loss prevention officer for identifying the man suspected of spray-painting hate messages including “Death to Islam” on the Moorhead Fargo Islamic Center.
Capt. Deric Swenson says the loss prevention officer noticed through publicly-released images that red spray paint was used in the incident and began to examine store purchase records.
Swenson says the employee did some independent detective work and found a man on surveillance video purchasing red spray paint at the Fargo Walmart on 13th Ave. S.
Swenson says the suspect, 22-year-old Benjamin Enderle of Moorhead, was wearing the same jacket as seen on surveillance video at the mosque.