Church Property Damage News 07/30/2023
Jul 29, 2023(July 27) Pride Flags Ripped Down, Woman Spat On As Anti-LGBTQ Incidents Escalate At Wicker Park Church | Wicker Park, IL
A Wicker Park church has repeatedly had Pride flags ripped from its facade this spring and summer, part of a series of bigoted behavior directed at the parish over the past decade, leaders said.
The flags displayed outside Wicker Park Lutheran Church, 1500 N. Hoyne Ave., were torn down or stolen five times between mid-April and Tuesday morning, Rev. Jason Glombicki said.
A similar incident occurred in 2019, when Pride flags outside the church were vandalized and stolen. Pride flags were also ripped off of the church’s fence in 2014, Glombicki said.
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(July 26) Man Charged With Setting Arizona Church Fires Acted Out Of Sexist And Homophobic Views, Federal Prosecutors Say | Douglas, AZ
The man accused of setting the May 22 fires that destroyed St. Stephen’s in Douglas, Arizona, and damaged the neighboring First Presbyterian Church acted out of homophobic and sexist views, according to a document filed by federal prosecutors during a request for his detention until trial.
The document claims Eric Ridenour believes that women shouldn’t hold church leadership positions and that he dislikes members of the LGBTQ+ community.
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(July 25) Man Who Vandalized Delano Church With Racist Graffiti Due In Court | Delano, CA
The man accused of vandalizing a Delano church in July and September of last year is due in court Tuesday for sentencing.
Kyle Lewis Sison pleaded no contest last month to vandalizing the church to intimidate based on race along with other vandalism and property damage charges.
He was also accused of vandalizing church signs and spray painting racial slurs on the walls and windows.
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(July 25) Statue Of Mary Destroyed During Break-In At Duluth Church | MN
A Duluth church became victim of a break-in and vandalism Tuesday.
The crime happened at St. Mary Star of the Sea on the 300 block of East Third Street.
Father Seth Gogolin said the statue of Mary in the high alter was destroyed, among other damage.
Police arrived and arrested the man. He was taken to a local hospital for an evaluation before taken to jail on three felony warrants, including pending charges of burglary, criminal damage to property, trespassing and obstructing.
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(July 24) Plano, Texas Church Damaged By Bomb | TX
On July 23, 2023, a firebombing incident occurred at the Community Unitarian Universalist Church of Plano at 2875 E. Parker Road. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries.
According to the church’s statement, the attack occurred on Sunday, July 23, 2023, sometime between 12:00 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. An incendiary device, containing a chemical accelerant, was either thrown or placed at the front doors of the main church building. The act resulted in a fire and smoke, triggering the monitored fire alarm system, which promptly alerted church personnel. A nearby passerby also noticed the fire and quickly alerted Plano’s 911 system.
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