Fresno police arrested three men after they were caught attaching religious flyers at a synagogue and a Catholic church on Thursday.

There was a third site hit the flyers, but police would not reveal where.

The messages were posted with painters tape at Temple Beth Israel, and at nearby St. Anthony of Padua.

“Employees of the temple confronted the men, asking them to stop and leave their premises. Initially, the men quoted bible verses, and questioned the employee’s beliefs. When the employees spoke about taking down the paper signs, the men made threatening statements if they did. The three men then left the temple,” authorities said in a news release.

Police found Christopher Avila, 32, Daniel Watson, 32, and Colin Laurila, 31 at the church.

All three face three misdemeanor counts — trespassing, conspiracy to commit a crime, and unlawfully posting signs on private property.

Avila faces an additional felony count of making a criminal threat.

The posting charge identified by police applies to posts on public property relating to an advertisement of goods or services. It is unclear how the charge applies in this case.

Jail records show Laurila and Watson were released at about 3:40 a.m. Friday. Avila remained in custody as of 2:35 p.m. Friday.

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Synagogue, Church Respond

Neither Temple Beth Israel nor St. Anthony of Padua were damaged, officials said.

“It is not unusual for us to receive religious messages by mail and email. Occasionally we receive phone calls. It is unusual to have someone come in person feeling the need to proclaim their message. Apparently, these suspects have targeted houses of worship across the country including churches and synagogues,” Rabbi Rick Winer said in an email to temple members on Thursday.

Winer thanked law enforcement for their quick reaction.

“There is no indication of continuing concern. That being said, we always maintain vigilance and our partnership with law enforcement,” Winer said.

“While we respect the right to freedom of speech, it needs to be done in a legal, respectful, Christ-like way. We have no clue as to why our church was targeted,” Diocese of Fresno spokesperson Chandler Marquez said.

Marquez had words of encouragement for his Jewish friends.

“We pray for our friend Rabbi Rick Winer and his community, as they have endured so much over the past months,” Marquez said.

Suspects Have Online Presence

An X page associated with Laurila says he is from Oregon. It contains several religious-oriented posts.

A YouTube page associated with Avila shows one video with him visiting Hill Cumorah, a New York religious site associated with Mormon founder Joseph Smith. Avila is seen passing out flyers, before he is asked to leave.

Avila complied. A van appears in the video, similar to the van found at the scene of St. Anthony of Padua.