Man sought in connection with vandalizing 2 churches in custody: police

PHILADELPHIA - A man Philadelphia police were seeking after they say vandalized several buildings and churches, causing tens of thousands of dollars, is in police custody, officials said. But, after causing a great deal of damage in several locations.

A half a brick and two stones were thrown through some of the most expensive kinds of windows of one of the most sacred places in the city, the National Shrine of Saint John Neumann, along Girard Avenue. They were thrown with such force, they went through two panes of stained-glass, bending the steel lattice holding the glass pieces together and heading into the pews.

"One of the rocks actually went across the center aisle, went through two panes of glass and traversed half the church itself," Pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Church, Father Michael Cunningham, said.

The force shattered the glass on three of the windows and shattered the peace the solemn, holy historic church provides.

Father Cunningham continued, "It’s a difficult thing to see. This really is an oasis. We live in a very busy city and all the hectic mess of the world is sort of left when people come into this oasis and experience the tranquility."

This was the second church struck by the same man, on the same day, detectives say. Mother Bethel AME Church, in Society Hill, on South 6th Street also had stained-glass windows shattered and boarded up Monday.

The vandal didn’t stop with the two churches, however.

"There’s along list of places now," Philadelphia Police Central Detectives, Captain Frank Banford, said. "There’s at least six places in addition to the two churches."

Detectives say clear, color surveillance at one of the 10 spots where windows were smashed helped aid them in the man’s apprehension. He is seen with items tucked under his Phillies cap. Police learned he’s a SEPTA rider.

"We were tracking him through SEPTA," Captain Banford added. "He appears to be coming from the far Northeast. He takes buses, he takes the Frankford El and gets off in Center City."

"To do something like that, it's coming from a place I would imagine of great despair and difficulty in life," Father Cunningham added.

Officials said the man was taken into custody at the Frankford Transportation Center.