Hawthorne police received a call at about 6:30 a.m. on Sunday about vandalism and a possible explosive device in front of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Baitus-Salaam Mosque in the 13000 block of Prairie Avenue.
Responding officers found a device that looked like a hand grenade in the driveway, along with white graffiti sprayed on the fence reading, "Jesus."
The immediate area was temporarily evacuated as a bomb squad investigated. The object was determined to be a replica of a hand grenade.
Also on Sunday, Hawthorne police received a call of vandalism at another mosque, the Islamic Center of Hawthorne in the 12200 block of South Hawthorne Way.
The front of the building was spray-painted with the phrase, "Jesus is the way."
The FBI is working with Hawthorne police to investigate both incidents, which are being classified as hate crimes.
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If you have any relevant information, you're urged to contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.