Racist Graffiti Sprayed On Mesquite Church Property
MESQUITE (CBSDFW.COM) - A hate crime at a predominately black church in Mesquite has its pastor sad and wondering why.
Buildings and a van outside the New Hope Baptist Church were spray-painted with racist graffiti.
The words and symbols are too graphic or vulgar to show.
Forty children enrolled in a summer camp here were exposed to it when they arrived this morning.
Racially charged messages and even a reference to the murder of Jordan Edwards were among the images Pastor Reginald Jefferson discovered when he arrived at his church Wednesday morning.
"I have no idea why anyone would use this kind of hatred in this kind of language towards any church at all the church represents love," said Pastor Jefferson.
The pastor was able to go back and watch the crime recorded on security cameras.
Three boys who look like teenagers use a golf club to break one of four cameras.
Then they can be seen on the others breaking a bulb in street light before they pulled out their cans of spray paint and spread hate.
"I'm very hopeful there seem to be some images there that capture these young people and my prayer is that they will be reformed," said Pastor Jefferson.
Jefferson's church is mostly black but spreads an all inclusive message to its congregation.
The pastor estimates the damage at about $3,500.
The vandals also stole one of the security cameras but fortunately their were others to help police.