Someone spray-painted a swastika on the back of Temecula United Methodist Church after thieves took the Pride flag from its flagpole more than once, the Rev. Drew Davis, the church’s pastor, said this week. “It is an image of hate that just transcends borders,” Davis told CBS Los Angeles.
Riverside County sheriff’s deputies are investigating the Temecula church swastika and the thefts at the church, which sits at 42690 Margarita Road. “There have been no arrests made, and the investigation remains ongoing,” Lt. Deirdre Vickers said, according to Patch.
The sheriff’s office says the case is not a hate crime, NBC Los Angeles reported. “I didn’t share this initially as a hate crime; however, I feel now that this should be considered exactly that,” Davis told Patch.
Pride Flags Disappeared After the Oct. 17 Celebration
“There are churches that exist to share love, affirmation,” Davis told CBS Los Angeles, which reported that he has hosted a series of Pride events at the church. Temecula Valley Pride held its celebration in the church parking lot on Oct. 17, Patch reported.
“I came to church on the 18th, and that evening, we found our Pride flag was stolen,” Davis told Patch. Someone had pried open the box on the flagpole and taken the Pride flag and the American flag, he told CBS.
“They were up for a couple of days, but those were also taken,” Davis said of the two replacement flags he put up. “We had both the American and the inclusionary flag stolen multiple times during the week,” the pastor told NBC Los Angeles.
Swastika Found on the Back of Temecula United Methodist Church
“Then, on Monday morning, I got a phone call that a swastika was painted on the back of the church,” Davis told Patch. “Later that evening, someone stole another Pride flag.”
A staff member had found the swastika and alerted law enforcement, Davis told NBC Los Angeles. “Deputies were informed on Oct. 27 and collected evidence but did not locate any suspects,” Vickers said.
Davis told Patch that deputies from the sheriff’s Southwest Station, which covers Temecula, have been supportive. “When I see a symbol like this it’s a symbol that is a hate symbol that hits every group,” he told NBC Los Angeles.
Is the Temecula Church Swastika a Hate Crime?
“A hate crime is a crime against a person, group, or property motivated by the victim’s real or perceived protected social group,” according to the California attorney general’s office. Religion and sexual orientation are both on its list of protected groups. “Hate crimes are prosecuted by city attorneys and district attorneys under California’s penal code,” the office says.
“I don’t know how a swastika cannot be perceived not as a hate crime,” Justin Daley, president of Temecula Valley Pride, told NBC Los Angeles. He called the group’s event “a beacon of hope for the community.”
Peace Mural and Nov. 19 Transgender Day of Remembrance
The church hasn’t removed the swastika, Davis told CBS. “We want to grow a painting around that imagery to have it dissolve into a mural of peace,” he said.
“To the person that did this. They are still loved,” Davis said, according to NBC Los Angeles.
“It was a blessing to have Zak Schwank from the Temecula City Council come to the church for a tour today,” Davis wrote on Facebook, Patch reported. He added that Mayor Jessica Alexander had sent “a wonderful email.”
The church calls itself a “welcoming, affirming, and reconciling congregation” on its website. The United Methodist Church lifted its ban on gay clergy in May 2024, according to the denomination. Its General Conference also voted to drop language calling homosexuality “incompatible with Christian teaching.”
“Even with this hate crime happening, we, without hesitation, are moving forward with our plans for Transgender Day of Remembrance on Thursday, Nov. 19,” Davis told Patch. The evening service will include music, stories of trans people who have died and a reading of names, the site reported.
Transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith started the observance in 1999 “as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester,” a trans woman killed in 1998, GLAAD says. Gayety reported at least 365 lives lost to killings or suicide worldwide in the year before the 2025 observance.
“Acts like this emphasize the fact that we need pride events because hate is still happening until it’s eliminated,” Daley said.
