Kingston church vandalized; Pride, Black Lives Matter flags burned
KINGSTON - A Plymouth man is facing felony charges for allegedly causing an estimated tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to a Kingston church, including burning Pride and Black Lives Matter flags displayed outside the church.
Unitarian church vandalized
Kingston Police were notified of the damage to First Parish Unitarian Church on Main Street early Tuesday morning. The damage to the church included ripping off and destroying 200-year-old handmade shutters, smashing antique glass and spraying a fire extinguisher throughout the inside of the church. Pride and Black Lives matter flags outside the church were ripped and set on fire. The fire also charred the building.
Full estimates of the damage haven't been made yet, but initial estimates put the damage at tens of thousands of dollars.
Suspect arrested
The suspect identified in the investigation, Johnathan White, 43, of, Plymouth, was arrested after he returned to the church while police were on-site investigating the scene. Police said a detective tried to stop White, but he yelled at the detective and fled in his vehicle. White was stopped in his vehicle down the road by a police officer.
White faces several felony charges and will be arraigned at Plymouth District Court. Police are asking anyone who lives in the Main Street to review footage from home surveillance cameras from midnight to 6:30 a.m. on July 4, especially any footage that has a white 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe.
Police said the motivation for the crime is unknown and police are still investigating to determine if hate crime charges will be filed.