3 men arrested, 2 released for trespassing at Northwest Fresno places of worship

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Around 4:30 Thursday afternoon, Fresno Police accidental they got reports of men shouting and taping up fliers astatine Temple Beth Israel successful Northwest Fresno.

Those men are present identified arsenic 32-year-olds Christopher Avila, Daniel Watson and Colin Laurila.

"It's keeping radical connected edge, which is not wherever we privation to be," Temple Beth Israel Rabbi Rick Winer said.

Police accidental erstwhile the men were approached by staff, they started quoting Bible verses and questioning their beliefs -- yet threatening the employees if they were to instrumentality the signs down.

"We got done immoderate of the demonstrations successful Fresno peacefully, and that was nice, and past present connected campus, idiosyncratic decided to interruption our sanctuary here, and it's unnerving," Rabbi Winer said. "The bully happening is determination was nary damage."

Officers accidental the men were progressive successful a akin incidental astatine different spot of worship earlier the 1 astatine the Temple Beth Israel.

Similar fliers were recovered astatine St. Anthony's of Padua, a Catholic religion connected Bullard and Maroa Avenues, wherever the radical was detained and arrested.

"There's nary denotation astatine this clip that this is simply a hatred crime," Fresno Police Lt. Bill Dooley said. "It appears that these individuals were conscionable wanting to profess their spiritual beliefs."

All 3 person been charged with respective misdemeanors: posting signs connected closed lands, trespassing and conspire to perpetrate a crime.

Avila is besides facing a felony complaint for making transgression threats to the unit astatine the temple.

Avila remained successful jailhouse Friday afternoon, but Laurila and Watson were cited and released.

They accidental they person gone each implicit the United States to preach their message, claiming to person been sent to Fresno by God.

"We don't bash religion. We travel the bible," Watson explained.

Watson says he's been arrested earlier for akin acts successful New York and volition proceed his spiritual travel extracurricular of Fresno.

"Anywhere else, it's legal. Anywhere else, we'll dispersed this word," Watson said. "Now we cognize that we can't station signs connected backstage spot successful the authorities of California, truthful we'll station them connected the airy station due to the fact that that's municipal property."

Authorities accidental nary of the men are from California.

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