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Milpitas Church Vandalized For 2nd Time In A Week

MILPITAS (CBS SF) -- The same Milpitas church that was vandalized a week ago was the target of a break-in and attempted burglary Sunday night, Milpitas police said.

At 10:23 p.m. a caretaker at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, located at 279 S. Main St., reported that there was a suspicious person that had come into the church through a window, police said.

Officers arrived and found a man walking out of the church who then hid in the courtyard area, police said.

The man, identified as 27-year-old transient Deshawn Dante Davis, was arrested and booked on suspicion of burglary and possession of burglary tools, police said.

Church facilities coordinator Ed Sacramento said the church is adding more locks on windows and other entryways and has set up a surveillance system.

He said Davis allegedly broke in through a sliding window. The church already has an alarm system set up.

"We've been hit twice in the past month," Sacramento said this afternoon.

Last Wednesday, Michael Vickroy, 30, was arrested after he was found around 5:30 a.m. naked at the church and destroying church property.

He allegedly destroyed as much as $15,000 worth of statues and other items.

Vickroy, who is a transient, told police that he had being arguing with his girlfriend and took his anger out at the church.

Sacramento said Vickroy had gone to the church more than seven years ago.

Since the destruction, parishioners and other community members have donated money and replacement statues.

Some of the statues destroyed were Our Lady of La Vang, Lady of Guadalupe and Santo Nino, Sacramento said.

Sacramento said there appears to be no connection between the two crimes.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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