Parishioner: Man 'Went Berserk' Inside Historic Denver Church
By Stan Bush
DENVER (CBS4) - Parishioners at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Larimer Street in Denver are still cleaning up after an unknown man ransacked the sanctuary.
On Saturday a man emerged from a hiding spot in the church after a ceremony. He was confronted by a parishioner walking in the sanctuary.
"He asked him what he was doing here, and that's when he went berserk and started throwing things through the windows, knocking down statues and making a total mess," says Ramon Quezada, a parishioner at the church.
The church was established in 1879 and many of the original stain glass windows that were installed at the church's founding were destroyed when the suspected threw dishes from the alter.
Statues were also destroyed before the man kicked his way out of the front door.
"The statutes we can't replace," said Quezada. "One was here for 100 years, but somehow we'll get another one."
A groups of transients have been camping around the corner from the church, but parishioners say they did not recognize the vandal. He is described as a white man in his 30s, standing 5-foot-8.
The church has surveillance cameras in the sanctuary, but says at the time of the incident the cameras were not working.
"We all get paid back for whatever we do. He'll get his someday," Quezada said.
The congregation has set up a GoFundMe page to help with cleanup and repairs.
Stan Bush is a general assignment reporter at CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 10. Read his bio and follow him on Twitter @StanBushTV.