Tag: Christian

Texas man guilty of arson and criminal mischief in attack on Presbyterian church

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mug shotA Fort Worth, Texas man is sentenced to 40 years in prison for the January arson of a church building.

According to CBS Local in the Dallas Fort Worth area, Thomas Britton went on a rampage at St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth causing nearly $800,000 in damage.  This week he was found guilty of arson and criminal mischief.

“This was not just criminal mischief. This was historic criminal mischief,” said prosecutor Vincent Giardino to the Fort Worth Business Press. “The police officers on the scene that morning, and even his own defense attorney, said they’d never seen anything like it. His goal was not just to damage this church, but to obliterate it. And he has no remorse for it.”

The trial begin Tuesday in before Judge Robb Catalano Tarrant County’s Criminal District 3.   Jurors deliberated for less than 10 minutes Thursday before reaching a guilty verdict.

Statue in ND prayer garden destroyed, motive for attack unknown

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2018-08-04 Statue damaged

FARGO – A congregation in Fargo, North Dakota is praying for the vandal or vandals who destroyed a statue on church property.  Someone this week destroyed a statue of the Virgin Mary at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.  The damage was discovered on Aug 1.

The statue stood in a prayer garden at the church according to a report from KVRR. It was a memorial erected by a parishioner about two years ago in memory of her husband, according to WDAY television.

Father Raymond Courtright told KFGO television his parish community views what happened to the statue as an opportunity for prayer and forgiveness.

Police have not determined a motive for the crime. Anyone with information about the criminal or criminals responsible for the vandalism is asked to call the Fargo Police Department at 701-235-4493. Those with information may also text a tip to 701-730-8888, or call our the department’s tip line at 701-241-5777.

 

Four teens arrested for NC church vandalism

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Mug
James LaGrange Murphy

UNION, SC – Four vandals have been arrested for an attack at a South Carolina Baptist church on July 7.

According to a report from The State, the vandals who damaged the building of the Welcome Baptist Church are all in their teens; three are juveniles.

A Union County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said the Family Life Center had “Hail Satan” carved into one of the columns, and two plastic columns were burned.  The spokesperson identified James LaGrange Murphy, 18, as the non-juvenile who participated.  The names of the other three are not released because of their age.

The damage to church property is estimated at less than $600. It has not yet been determined if the attack will be classified as a hate crime.

State-Sanctioned Church in Shandong Province of China Demolished

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International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on July 17, more than 70 police officers and workers forcibly demolished Liangwang Catholic Church in China’s Shandong province. Liangwang Catholic Church is a state-sanctioned church and had been registered since 2006.

CLICK HERE for the complete story

Teens arrested for church arson

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Two teens have been charged with arson for a 2017 fire that destroyed the sanctuary building of a Las Vegas Church.  Police are not releasing the names of the two because of their age.

 

(2017 File video story from the Las Vegas Review-Journal)

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the fire caused $1.3 million in damage to the Zion Methodist Church.

A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Wednesday said the teens are charged with arson, conspiracy and burglary.

A motive for the criminal act has not been announced.