The man who set fire to the Victoria Islamic church will be charged with a hate crime

The man who allegedly set fire to the Victoria Islamic Center has been indicted on three counts in connection with the January incident, including a hate-crime charge.

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A federal grand jury returned the indictment against 25-year-old Mark Vincent Perez on Thursday, and officials say the hate crime charge is for “damage to a religious property as well as use of a fire to commit a federal felony in relation to the arson at the mosque.”

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Perez was initially charged on March 3 in an attempt to blow up a car with a destructive device. But, evidence also linked Perez to a Jan. 22 burglary of the Islamic Center as well as a burglary there on Jan. 28, when the fire occurred.

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Perez faces up to 20 years in federal prison for a hate crime and up to 10 years for possessing a destructive device. If convicted of “use of a fire to commit a felony,” the penalty is a minimum of 10 years in prison. All of the counts also carry a $250,000 penalty, say officials.