Vandal Causes $100K Of Damage To NoHo Church, Police Say
NORTH HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA) – Investigators are searching for a vandal who broke into a North Hollywood church early Wednesday morning and damaged it to the tune of approximately $100,000.
According to Los Angeles police, the situation began at around 4:45 a.m. when the suspect started several trash can fires in the 10800 block of Moorpark Street. A nearby bank was also vandalized.
The suspect, police said, then broke a window at St. Charles Borromeo Church, went inside and vandalized the building, causing thousands of dollars of damage. No fires were set inside the church, police said, and there were no injuries.
"We had altars that were upended and turned, we had numerous glass items that were broken," LAPD Sgt. Barry Montgomery told CBS2. "There's a lot of religious artifacts that were damaged, as well as water and oil and papers thrown about."
LAPD officers responded to the scene and then called in Los Angeles Fire Department crews when they saw the trash fires.
The suspect remains at large. No description was immediately released. Police are hoping to use DNA evidence collected at the church to identify the culprit. Investigators are also scouring for surveillance video.
"We just finished a six-million-dollar renovation here," parishioner Chris Castro said. "This is a higher-end church. Everybody is really, really close. This has to be random."
Police said there is no indication at this time that this was a hate crime. Investigators with the FBI and LAFD arson unit are assisting with the case.