Colorado Man Who Vandalized Fort Collins Islamic Center Kills Self After Sentencing

A man who was convicted in December of vandalizing a mosque in Colorado was found dead in a motel room Saturday.

According to the Larimer County coroner, 36-year-old Joseph Giaquinto died by suicide at the Motel 6 at 3900 E. Mulberry St. in Fort Collins, Friday, reported the Coloradoan. An autopsy was performed Sunday and Giaquinto was publicly identified the next day.

Giaquinto, killed himself after he was convicted on Thursday for vandalizing the Islamic Center of Fort Collins in March 2017. He was sentenced to three years of wellness court and six months of work release. On March 26, 2017, Giaquinto smashed the glass window of the mosque and threw rocks and a Bible into the prayer hall through the broken window.

According to a report in the Coloradoan, police initially thought it to be a case of hate crime but Giaquinto maintained that it was the location where he lived prompted him to do so. The police calculated the damage to be worth $3,000, reported the local publication Across Colorado Patch.

According to various reports, Giaquinto's father, Michael Giaquinto, explained that his son served the in the U.S. Army as an Army medic for eight years and served in Iraq and Korea.

While the case proceedings were ongoing, Giaquinto participated in a five- to seven-week Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) residential rehabilitation program in Cheyenne, Wyoming. His public defender said at his sentencing that Giaquinto was also suffering from post-traumatic stress and alcohol abuse, the New York Daily News reported.

His lawyer, Heather Siegel, said Giaquinto was drunk while committing the crime and later when he came to his senses, he was “horrified” to know about his disrespectful act.

Expressing grief over Giaquinto’s death, president of the Islamic Center, Tawfik Aboellail, issued a statement Monday. He said, “As our prophet taught us by example, we grieve the loss of Mr. Giaquinto’s life as we sincerely hoped he would have gotten the help he needed and deserved.” Aboellail added, “Our thoughts are with his family and we hope that they might find peace and comfort,” reported the Coloradoan.

In another incident in October 2016, a man vandalized the Masjid Al Salam in Fort Smith, Arkansas. But a year later, Abraham Davis, the man who committed the crime was not only forgiven by the people whose religious feelings were hurt by him but they also paid his debts.

Louay Nassri, president of Al Salam told the Arkansas Matters, “It shouldn't be hanging over him for the rest of his life.”

He added, “We knew this person did a bad thing and there has to be consequences for their actions. But we didn't have any ill feelings towards anybody.”

Nassri told the publication, “If he would've known who we are, he wouldn't have done this. If we would've known his troubles with us, we would've tried to help him. Communication is extremely important. Education is extremely important.”