Police Investigating Cross Burnings at SF Valley Church

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY -- The Los Angeles Police Department and Fire Department investigators were investigating a possible hate crime at a church, the site of a cross burning, in Sylmar today.

``Because it's at a church, on church property, it's something that we always try to rule out. So we notify our House of Worship Task Force, which consists of the LAFD, LAPD, ATF and FBI,'' Capt. Stephen Phillips of Los Angeles City Fire told CBS 2.

Officers responded to a report of three crosses set on fire at 5 a.m. on Thursday at the Sylmar Christian Fellowship Church located at 13901 Polk St.

One of the crosses was toppled over. Fire investigators said the crosses appear to have been doused in lighter fluid and set on fire.

``It's a shame people still want to do something like this,'' said Pastor Pierre Howard of the Sylmar Christian Fellowship Church.

He said the church is multicongregational, serving Latino and African-American communities.

The church has video security as well, but Howard said the footage is not providing much help identifying suspects.

Howard added that the cross burning might have been done by someone who just made a bad decision.

``I hope that's what it is,'' Howard said.

Police were treating the fire as arson.

No injuries were reported, and no additional information was immediately available.

-- City News Service