Holy Innocents Catholic School in Long Beach hit by burglars, leaving significant damage behind
An investigation is underway in Long Beach after the Holy Innocents Parish Catholic School was hit by burglars over the weekend, who left a significant amount of damage behind.
Long Beach Police Department officers were dispatched to the school early Monday morning upon learning of the incident. They were called after school officials arrived and found the school's chapel in complete disarray.
"We feel violated," said Principal Cyril Cruz. "I feel just really bad for our families, for our scholars."
She said that the desecration of religious items is what hits her the hardest.
Among the damage is a smashed statue of The Virgin Mary, other religious artifacts, like the tabernacle that stores communion, and destroyed furniture. The alleged burglars also destroyed the school's internet devices and musical equipment and tossed learning materials and Bibles around the building. A picture of Pope Leo XIV was also shattered.
"They were starting to stack up musical instruments, and different things like that, but the damage that's particularly done to the sacred objects like the statues and the tabernacle ... they took time to really damage those articles," Cruz said.
Volunteers, staff members and parents worked throughout the day on Monday to clean up the mess, expressing concerns about a potentially bigger issue.
"I'm concerned. I need to know if there was written on the walls, if there was hate crime targeted because we're a specific Catholic setting," said Patricia Torres. "That's my biggest concern as a parent right now."
School officials said that Long Beach police had forensic detectives at the scene to try and recover DNA evidence that could point them in the right direction while they search for the suspects.
Mass was canceled for students on Monday morning due to the damage and ongoing investigation, Principal Cruz said. Families and students still came together to pray at lunch time, focusing on those who took the time to damage their school.
"This is continuing to pray for those that need healing as far as doing something this bad," said Gary Dyogi, one of the parents. "But also know that they will be forgiven."
Principal Cruz said that police discovered some blood inside the chapel, which they hope will help them identify at least one of the suspects. She noted that they're hoping to have the school restored enough for normal operations on Wednesday.