A string of vandalism at St. Francis de Sales Church in Sherman Oaks has triggered a hate crime investigation after the church was targeted four times over two months. According to KTLA, the Los Angeles Police Department is on the lookout for the suspects behind the repeated acts of defacement, which began with the assault on a statue in front of the church on August 7.
The same statue, which represents the church's patron saint, was defaced with black spray paint on September 28 and had been subjected to various other forms of vandalism — including attempts to set it on fire — in previous weeks. Father Michael Wakefield, living in the church rectory, awoke one night to find a window alight, a fire that burned itself out by some grace, he recalled in a statement obtained by FOX LA.
Alongside reports of the defaced statue, the phrase "chomo," a derogatory term for child molester, was also scrawled across it, which points to the potential for these acts to be considered hate crimes. "It's also an assault on the parishioners of this parish," Father Wakefield told FOX LA, acknowledging the symbol's significance beyond its physical form.
Local community members and businesses are noticing a rampant increase in vandalism. Robin Snyder, owner of Mulberry Row on nearby Ventura Boulevard, told KTLA about a rise in such incidents due to the homeless situation. Others, like a Casa Vega restaurant worker, lamented over afire trash bins and a gift shop employee named Sebastian reported an inexplicable smashed window.
As reported by ABC7, the church is considering bolstering security measures, including adding surveillance cameras, to deter future vandalism. Anyone with pertinent information regarding these incidents is urged to contact the LAPD at 1-877-527-3247.
