Three Men Hit with Felony Hate Crime Charges After Storming Muslim Prayer at USF
Dawn Attack on Muslim Students Shocks Florida Campus
Three men have been charged with felony hate crimes after crashing a University of South Florida parking garage where Muslim students were conducting dawn prayers. Christopher Svochak, 48, Richard Penskoski, 51, and Ricardo Yepez, 39 — none linked to USF — face serious charges under Florida law. They stand accused of disturbing a religious assembly with hate crime enhancements.
Verbal Onslaught During Early Morning Prayers
The disturbing incident erupted just after 5:30 a.m. on November 19, 2025. The trio barged onto the rooftop of Collins Boulevard Parking Garage, where a dozen Muslim students from the USF Muslim Students Association were performing fajr prayers. Video footage captured one man holding a cardboard box marked “Kaaba 2.0 – Jesus is Lord”, while another wore a white thobe emblazoned with “Jesus is God.”
Witnesses say the men shouted vile slurs mere inches from the praying students, including:
- “Bow down to Lord Jesus Christ!”
- “Your prophet married a 6-year-old!”
- “You don’t have a bomb on you, do you?”
Student Abu Tahir told reporters, “They walked so close to our heads while we were bowing that we genuinely feared they would stomp on us. We had to decide whether to break prayer for our safety.” Despite the intimidation, prayers continued, but the men kept filming and hurling insults as students left.
Police Crackdown and Outrage from Local Leaders
USF Police Chief Chris Daniel vowed tough action: “We take this incident very seriously. We are committed to protecting every member of our community and will use every resource to ensure accountability.” All three men have been banned from USF for life.
Local officials condemned the attack in no uncertain terms. Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen called the incident “appalling”, adding, “No one in America should be assaulted while exercising their constitutionally protected rights. This is simply intolerable.” Commissioner Gwen Myers echoed the sentiment: “The Muslim community are our citizens. This will not happen again.”
The Islamic Society of Tampa Bay Area held a unity press conference on November 21, denouncing the harassment and commending the prompt police response.
Legal Battle Puts Rising Campus Islamophobia in Spotlight
The Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the men with hate crime enhancements that carry stiff jail time. All three were released on bond and will face arraignment in December 2025.
Florida law not only bars trespass and disorderly conduct but specifically targets disruptions of religious assemblies under Statute 876.14, highlighting the seriousness of interrupting worship. The hate crime tag singles out religious bias behind the attack.
Experts warn this chilling incident reflects a nationwide surge in campus Islamophobia — complaints surged 178% across the US in 2025 alone. Muslim Students Association chapters report growing security fears, especially in isolated outdoor prayer spots like USF’s rooftop.
Ironically, the attackers’ own video recordings have strengthened prosecutors’ hate crime case.
This high-profile arraignment could set a critical precedent protecting religious freedom on campuses — or risk encouraging further hate if justice falls short.
