LA prosecutors say religious hate offenses are rising despite overall decline

Nathan Hochman, the top prosecutor for Los Angeles County, announced that hate crimes motivated by religious bias have markedly increased over the last two years, despite a modest drop in total hate-crime reports. His office has already filed 35 religion-based hate-crime cases this year, up from seven in 2024 and 39 in 2025. City police data show 460 hate crimes reported so far, a 4% decline from the same period last year, while statewide figures also fell.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell described the incidents as deliberate attacks on the city’s core values and stressed that many go unreported. High-profile cases this year feature a vandalized Buddha statue and a wealthy heir accused of shouting slurs at a Jewish neighbor. Officials urged communities to come forward and cooperate with law-enforcement efforts to curb bias-driven violence.