Man Finds Cross Burning on Huntington Beach Lawn

The burning of a cross on the front lawn of a Huntington Beach home Tuesday night is being investigated as arson and a hate crime, police said.

The homeowner discovered the blazing 6-foot-tall cross about 10 p.m., Huntington Police Lt. Jon Arnold said.

The 46-year-old homeowner, who is Jewish, said he was in the living room when he saw a “big blaze of light” through a window. He said he rushed outside, knocked the burning cross to the ground and doused it with water from a garden hose. Then he called police.

The man, who asked that his name not be used, said he was confused about how best to extinguish the blaze quickly.

“I got my garden hose and put it out,” he said Wednesday, pointing to the sidewalk where blackened twine that had held the cross together remained. The fire caused minor damage to the exterior of the house, he said.

A neighbor on Saline Drive said residents were shocked by the incident.

“This is a quiet area,” resident Beth Layden said. “It’s really sad, really scary to have something like this happen right here.”

Police are seeking witnesses to the incident, Arnold said. Anyone with information may call investigators at (714) 375-5066.

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Times staff writer Janet Wilson contributed to this report.