A 40-year-old Moorpark man faces civil rights and criminal threat charges after allegedly threatening Muslim worshipers at a Walnut Street mosque. The suspect allegedly hurled slurs and made violent threats during evening prayers at the mosque in the 700 block of Walnut Street.

Ventura County Sheriff's deputies responded around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, after receiving a disturbance call, as first reported by NBC Los Angeles. A victim told deputies that he and five other mosque members were praying when the suspect made threatening statements and used racial slurs. The victim said he feared for his safety based on the suspect's threats and body language.

Deputies arrested the man on suspicion of criminal threats and interfering with or intimidating individuals in the free exercise of their constitutional rights. The charges were subsequently filed, according to a CAIR-LA statement released Monday, Sept. 28.

Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Greater Los Angeles Area Office, said the organization welcomed the charges. "No worshiper should ever have to fear for their safety while engaging in peaceful prayer at their place of worship," Ayloush said in the statement.

No statement from the suspect or a defense attorney appears in public records as of Sept. 29.

CAIR-LA, a Muslim civil liberties organization, said the Moorpark incident fits a troubling pattern. The group documented 17 incidents targeting Islamic places of worship nationwide from May through July, a 183% increase over the six incidents recorded during the same period a year earlier.

CAIR's 2026 civil rights report found 8,683 anti-Muslim bias complaints in 2025. That was the highest annual total since the organization began publishing such reports in 1996.

The previous month, CAIR-LA said it welcomed the arrest of a man accused of making violent threats against the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley, a separate Southern California mosque.

No court date has been announced. The suspect's name has not been released in public reports.

CAIR-LA is urging mosque leaders to use its "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety" guide. Residents who witness or experience bias or hate incidents can contact CAIR-LA's Civil Rights Department at (714) 776-1177, ext. 2.