Gov. Inslee called mosque arson ‘attack’ on Tacoma Muslims. Here’s why charges were dropped

A man accused of trying to burn down the former mosque of the Islamic Center of Tacoma after he posted online about religion and government conspiracies was deemed last month incompetent to stand trial, according to court records.

Angel Joseph Rodriguez, 39, was found capable of understanding the charges against him but unable to assist in his own defense due to mental illness, according to records filed in Pierce County Superior Court. He was charged with first-degree arson in October 2021 after he allegedly threw an antifreeze container onto the building, igniting a fire that burned through the roof and caused significant damage.

Rodriguez’s arson charge was dismissed Jan. 11, and he was ordered to undergo an evaluation for involuntary commitment to a state psychiatric hospital. Prosecutors could re-file charges if he is released from state custody.

Days after the blaze, Gov. Jay Inslee visited the mosque and denounced the arson as an attack on the Muslim community. In a tweet, Inslee wrote that he stood in solidarity with them.

It’s still not clear why the mosque was targeted, but court records say Rodriguez has a long history of mental illness. He claimed in interviews with psychologists that “the devil” and the government steal his thoughts, read his mind and exert control over his behavior. Records state some of his beliefs included far-right conspiracy theories, such as the false claim that President Joe Biden did not win the 2020 election. He was diagnosed in a recent evaluation with delusional disorder, grandiose and persecutory types.

“The theme of his delusions seemed to center on political powers, mind control, neurolinguistic programming, artificial intelligence and the devil,” a psychologist wrote.

The congregation moved to a 69,000 square-foot building in South Tacoma in 2022, but plans remain to rebuild the old University Place mosque at 2010 Bridgeport Way West. When the new location opened, the Islamic Center’s Executive Director, Abdulhakim Mohamed, told The News Tribune that the fire forced him to hold daily prayers at Tacoma Community College and Friday prayers at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church by The Narrows.

What does it mean to be found mentally incompetent to stand trial in Washington state?

No one was injured in the fire, but nine people were inside worshiping when it started, records state. According to charging documents, Rodriguez posted on Facebook the day of the arson “Are you all ready for war?” Other posts called for “vengeance” and overthrowing the government.

Rodriguez was arrested at his home two weeks after the crime. Records state investigators from Pierce County Sheriff’s Department identified him after they conducted a welfare check at his University Place home Oct. 20, 2021. Deputies went there at the request of someone concerned about Rodriguez’s girlfriend. The man had allegedly been stopping the woman and her two children from leaving but let them go when deputies came by.

When a detective interviewed the girlfriend later, the investigator asked her about the mosque fire. She hadn’t heard of it, but when she was shown a Crime Stoppers bulletin for a person of interest in the arson, records state she said it was “absolutely” Rodriguez. Witnesses from the arson also said a man they saw jogging away from the fire was the same person pictured in the flyer.

Surveillance video from a drug store about a half-mile from the mosque had captured him in the store about an hour before the arson. According to the probable cause document, Rodriguez asked staff there if they sold Styrofoam cups. Told no, Rodriguez allegedly said there were other ways to burn down a mosque and left.