A Hoschton man is behind bars, facing charges after being accused of a string of vandalism acts at several churches in the Buford area. Gwinnett County Police allege that 41-year-old David Rangel is responsible for causing property damage to various places of worship on a single night.
Responding to reports on Tuesday morning, officers discovered that multiple windows had been smashed at four different church properties. Surveillance video obtained by the police appears to show a suspect, later identified as Rangel, getting out of a white car and proceeding to purposefully damage the buildings using a tool. According to a FOX 5 Atlanta interview, Cpt. Juan Madiedo mentioned, "He never gave a specific reason … or any logical reason that I'm aware of." Madiedo also suggested that the evidence seemed to "points to a random act at this time."
Law enforcement was able to quickly locate Rangel thanks to the use of Flock cameras, which helped them find the vehicle connected to the incidents. Arrest warrants detailed by Atlanta News First specify that a ratchet was used to damage windows at several locations: Zion Hill Baptist Church, Victory Church, and two 12Stone Church sites along Buford Highway and Braselton Highway.
Rangel now faces multiple counts including four counts of vandalism to a place of worship, four counts of criminal damage to property in the second degree, and four counts of possession of tools for the commission of a crime. As of the latest updates, he was being held at the Gwinnett DIY. Authorities are continuing to thoroughly investigate to possibly determine a motive behind Rangel's actions.
