Three charged for shouting slurs at praying Muslim students while waving bacon in Florida
Three men stand accused of felony hate crimes after storming a University of South Florida parking garage and harassing Muslim students during dawn prayer. Muslim Student Association University of South Florida / Instagram
TAMPA, Fla. — Three men have been charged after allegedly confronting and harassing Muslim students during dawn prayer at the University of South Florida on Tuesday, according to police and reports. Video footage captured the men shouting religious slurs, waving bacon, and crowding students as they bowed in prayer.
Authorities identified the men as Christopher Svochak of Waco, Texas; Richard Penskoski of Canyon, Oklahoma; and Ricardo Yepez of Tampa. None of the men have any known ties to the university.
All three face felony charges of disturbing schools and religious assemblies under Florida’s hate-crime enhancement statute, along with misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and disrupting a school or lawful assembly.
The incident unfolded on the roof of the Collins Boulevard Parking Garage during fajr prayer. According to reports, one man carried a cardboard sign reading “Kaaba 2.0 Jesus is Lord,” while another wore a thobe with “Jesus is God” printed on it. Students said the men shouted insults, including “Bow down to lord Jesus Christ” and derogatory comments about the Prophet Muhammad, and taunted worshippers with bacon immediately afterward, a violation of Islamic dietary restrictions.
One student recalled a tense moment when a man asked, “You don’t have a bomb on you, do you?”
A video posted on YouTube shows a group calling themselves “Warriors for Christ” approaching the students. “They walked close to our heads while we entered the bowing position, so close that we genuinely had a fear they were going to stomp on our heads,” student Abu Tahir said. He added that the students debated whether to stop the prayer in response to the harassment.
When the prayer ended, the men reportedly focused cameras on the students and continued shouting insults. “We had no idea whether we were going to leave there safely,” Tahir said.
Sajid Kahn, another student present, described the encounter as a “mockery of our culture, of our religion, of our traditions.”
USF Police Chief Chris Daniel said the department acted immediately. “We take this incident very seriously. Our department is committed to protecting every member of our community, and we will use every available resource to ensure accountability and maintain a safe environment for all,” he said. Authorities confirmed that all three suspects were issued trespass warnings barring them from campus. Detectives have filed the cases with the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office, with additional charges under review.
Community leaders gathered Friday at the Islamic Society of Tampa Bay Area to denounce the harassment. Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen called the actions “appalling,” saying, “No one in America should be assaulted while exercising their constitutionally-protected rights.” Commissioner Gwen Myers added, “The Muslim community are our citizens. We cannot allow this to happen, and it will not happen. This is why we’re here today to stand with them.”
The Muslim Student Association criticized the lack of university staff present during the incident. Its president, Malak Albustami, called on the administration to do more to protect students.
USF later issued a statement pledging increased patrols and campus police visibility “out of an abundance of caution,” and reaffirmed that it does not tolerate harassment or discrimination. “Our policy explicitly prohibits Islamophobia, antisemitism and all other instances of hateful conduct targeting individuals because of their religion, shared ancestry or cultural heritage,” the university said.
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