Vandals caught on tape do $60K damage to California church
LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. - Three young vandals can be seen brazenly damaging a church in Southern California in a crime caught on surveillance video, reports CBS Los Angeles
According to the station, three unidentified young people are first seen throwing rocks through windows of the First Lutheran Church of Lake Elsinore, and then throwing a coffee can at the building.
Then, they turned on a garden hose, full blast, and placed it inside a window. Near the end of the vandalism the suspects can be seen dancing.
"It's just material things," said church pastor Kevin Kolander to the station, "but this is our church home."
The water was left on for ten hours, CBS Los Angeles reported.
Church officials estimated as many as 2,000 gallons of water flowed through hallways, rooms and the main sanctuary.
The church estimated the damages at more than $60,000.
"They're going to have to pull the tile up, repaint, new carpet in the sanctuary, all the way up to the chancel," said Kolander. "It's a lot of damage."
The pastor told the station that services will not be canceled even as the repairs are made.
The vandals remain at large.