(Photo: Stateline Area Crime Stoppers)
STAFF
A congregation in Stephenson County, Illinois had to spend time cleaning obscene graffiti off of the church walls after vandals damaged the building in the late-night hours.
A sheriff’s office news release says the vandalism was discovered around 8 a.m. on July 14 at the Cedarville Baptist Church. The spokesperson said there were no other reports of vandalism in the area.
Investigators have not yet determined a motive for the criminal act.
JEFF TURNER
Officers in the US have arrested a man for hate crimes after they say the suspect was caught on video smashing a window at a church before running off.
Video from surveillance cameras at Community Church of Christ in Queens, New York was posted to the police department’s Crime Stoppers twitter account shortly after the damage was reported.
Police say the damage was done Tuesday, March 8. Video from the church and other evidence, led police to Tonnie Smith, 32, of Queens. He has been charged with criminal mischief and aggravated harassment. Both are listed as hate crimes in the State of New York.
Janet Johnson-Tremblay
A congregation in the US has few answers as to why someone would smash stained glass windows and steal the altar Bible and a wooden cross. The damage was discovered Thursday at the Handsboro United Methodist Church in Mississippi.
“Sad to report that the sanctuary was vandalized. One of our beautiful stained glass windows was broken and the Bible on the altar and wooden cross Mr. Sam Krohn built were taken. It is unfortunate that people have the nerve to do such a thing to a church,” says a post to the church’s Facebook page.
Pastor John McCay told MagnoliaStateLive that the items stolen were of, “great sentimental value” to the church. WLOX Television reports a vandal or vandals recently damaged other churches in the area.
Police have yet not determined a motive of the person or persons who damaged the church buildings.
STAFF
Sheriff’s office investigators in the United States have not yet determined the motive behind a church arson after one person was arrested for the criminal act Saturday.
A spokesperson for the Tuolumne County, California Sheriff’s Office said the fire was set Saturday, March 19 at the Journey Church in Sonora, California. The church building was fully engulfed in flame when firefighters arrived.
Early Sunday deputies were called back to the church by firefighters who said a man at the fire scene was acting strangely. Deputies questioned the man at the scene and arrested him for arson and burglary.
DAVID INGRAM
The number of reported crimes against churches and congregations remains low for a second week in a row. No confirmed hate crimes have been reported to Texas Gospel Canada since the first of the year.
CTV reports RCMP investigators in Olds, Alberta are looking for the person caught on security footage damaging windows at the First Baptist church. MountainViewToday reports the damage was reported January 23.
Authorities in Lawrence County, Alabama began the week looking for whomever caused thousands of dollars in damage to the New Antioch Church of Christ building, according to The Birmingham News. The paper published photos of the damage. WAAY television reports the motive does not appear to be theft as no valuable items were taken. Shortly after those stories ran police arrested two juveniles. APnews reports the teens were identified from surveillance video. WHNT television reports the damage is estimated at $30,000.
A Virginia church grotto was vandalized and statues “irreparably damaged” Tuesday night according to a report from WTOP news. A post by the pastor on the church web site says, “I am so saddened by this act of disrespect and destruction of property…. Let us be people of peace who value and respect one another.”
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