Arrest Made In Connection To Davis Mosque Vandalism

Drew Sandsor | Capital Public Radio

UPDATE Feb. 15, 4:25 p.m.: There's more information on why a judge set bail so high for the Davis woman accused of committing a hate crime at the Islamic Center in Davis.

The Davis Enterprise reports police investigating Lauren Kirk-Coehlo say she wrote of having dreams about killing people and expressed admiration for Charleston church shooter Dylan Roof and the man accused of going on a shooting spree at a Quebec mosque.

The information was included in a police document asking a judge to increase bail from $40,000 to a million. A judge did set bail at the higher amount.

Police also found Kirk-Coehlo used derogatory terms when talking about minorities and certain religions, searched for information on local mosques and a bomb vest, and mentioned having mental problems.

Kirk-Coehlo is set to be arraigned tomorrow in Woodland.

ORIGINAL: A 30-year-old woman is facing hate crime charges after being arrested Tuesday for vandalizing the Davis Islamic Center, which sits across from the UC Davis campus.

Bail for Laura Kirk-Coehlo of Davis was set at $1 million.

Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig was asked why a judge set bail so high for a nonviolent crime.

"He was provided facts by the Davis Police Department at the time the arrest warrant was issued," says Reisig. "I'm not privy to all of the facts that he was provided at the time he issued the bail, but I can say that based on the seriousness of this felony offense, the fact that it is a hate crime, and that she faces up to six years in prison, it is certainly a serious offense."

Security video from the Islamic Center showed a woman smashing windows, popping bike tires and leaving bacon on a door handle at the center last month. Pork is a forbidden food for Muslims. Police say tips provided after the release of the video helped lead them to Kirk-Coehlo.