Tempe police arrested a suspect Monday in connection with the vandalism of the Islamic Cultural Center last month.
William Bushnell, a 23-year-old transient, was arrested near the intersection of Sixth Street and Mill Avenue around 9 p.m.
"Bicycle police patrolling Mill Avenue recognized Bushnell and arrested him on an unrelated probation violation," said Tempe police Sgt. Dan Masters.
Police then used evidence left near the crime scene at the cultural center to identify Bushnell as a suspect.
A can of spray paint found during a canvas of the area immediately following the Sept. 18 crime yielded fingerprints that police identified as Bushnell's, Masters said.
Bushnell allegedly admitted to painting images associated with the neo-Nazi and skinhead movement on the doors of the Islamic Cultural Center, located at 131 E. Sixth St., during a police interview.
"Bushnell has not admitted allegiance to any white supremacist group, though he does have a swastika tattoo," Masters said.
Bushnell also reportedly told police that the second suspect in the crime was a member of a hate group, but he did not identify the second suspect by name.
An employee at the center said he was glad to hear of the arrest.
Imam Ahmad Shqeirat said, "We believe that this arrest will help the Islamic community settle down and feel more safe within the greater community."
Deedra Abboud, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, said the arrest sends a strong message to the community.
"This type of crime is unacceptable against any group - in Tempe and all of Arizona," she said.
Police are still seeking a second suspect, described as a white male of medium build, 19 to 22 years old.
Photographs taken by a witness at the scene have yielded no indication as to that suspect's identity.
Reach the reporter at kelly.vaughn@asu.edu.
