ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A cross ripped from the wall, and pages torn from bibles and hymnals littering the sanctuary of the Fowler United Methodist Church in Annapolis.
“That was the first sign for me showing me that this is probably a hate crime against religion, because as we were doing our tour finding out the damage, I noticed that were was nothing stolen. Everything was just damaged,” said the church’s trustee chair, Troy Belt.
We have now learned this is just the first of three churches targeted by vandals in the last two weeks.
The very next day after Fowler United Methodist was vandalized, police say a block down Bestgate Drive at St. Phillips Episcopal Church, someone ripped down a sign and then came back three days later and destroyed one statue and moved another one, damaging it in the process.
Last Saturday, someone wrecked havoc on the St. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church on Riva Road damaging signs, lighting and landscape on the exterior of the buildings.
“We’re basically thinking it was kids at 3:00 in the morning in a car stopped and did damage to the signs,” said Parish Council President Peter Vezeris.
“But not a hate crime necessarily?” we asked.
“No, but we are a church, so I’m not sure what’s in their minds you know, but they didn’t attempt to get into the church,” he replied.
Police have devoted a multitude of officers, detectives and evidence technicians to try to develop suspects.
“It’s extremely unsettling, scary in a lot of ways that someone has violated the sanctity of a church,” said Marc Limansky of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, “You come to these houses of worship to feel safe so you can pray the way you want to pray. Having this happen just feels like a violation of everything that you stand for, you believe in. It’s an affront to our faith-based communities and our communities as a whole.”
If you have any information, which could help police crack these cases, you’re asked to call the Anne Arundel County Police Tip Line at 410-222-4700.
