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Johnathan Peter Contreras, 23
Johnathan Peter Contreras, 23, was charged with burglary, vandalism of more than $500 and theft of more than $500 from the Temple Baptist Church in Kingsport on March 26, 2010.
Police arrested Contreras as he was trying to flee the scene of a church burglary.
Vandals stole paint from the Corinth Baptist Church in Leicester, and spread it all over the sanctuary, this morning damaging crosses, pews and other property inside, according to the Sheriffs department of Buncombe County.
The suspects apparently took bottles of paint from a Sunday school room and used it to deface the sanctuary and other rooms on the first floor of the church. No arrest or suspects at this time according to Buncombe County Sheriffs Department.
Question: Does your church have an intrusion alarm system installed? Is the alarm connected to a central monitoring station? These types of events are taking place in churches across America. The time to start considering installing an alarm system to protect your church from these types of incidents in now. Be Proactive not Reactive!
A vandal painted the capital “A” for “anarch” symbol on the door of Pleasant Grove Cumberland Presbyterian Church, in Warrensburg, MO last Sunday.
In Huston, Texas, shattered windows and broken glass was the results of vandals and was not the first time that this church had been targeted.
Three panes of glass were broken costing an estimated $600 a pane to repair. This cost is significant for a 40 member church to raise.
The Pastor blames the vandalism on what’s going on around them with drugs in the community. Over the years, the Pastor indicated that the problem has gotten worse. However, the church continues its outreach for the lost.
The church can’t afford insurance, so the pastor is hopeful members will spare whatever they can to repair what was damaged. He’s also hopeful the repairs will be completed by the first Sunday in May for the official celebration of their big 99th anniversary.
Question: Could you help with the repairs? What a way to show the love of Christ who gave himself unselfishly for us, by giving unselfishly giving to the repairs of this 99 year old church who still reaches out to the community to share the love of God. What is God leading you to do?
CHANNELVIEW, Texas—Police are searching for thieves that continuously target a church in Channelview.
Other items stolen from the church were a preschool van, a Boy Scout trailer and an empty safe.
Fire investigators said Sunday that a fire which damaged The Church of the Living God on Harbor Street Saturday morning was definitely arson. Firefighters found a broken stained-glass window on the northeast corner of the building with a gasoline can beneath it, said Battalion Chief Kevin McCarthy of the Contra Costa Fire District. But he noted that the window could have shattered as a result of the fire.
The blaze started about 9 a.m. and damaged the pastor’s office, the pulpit area, and church organ, and burned a hole in the roof. It caused an estimated $125,000 in damages to the building and its contents, fire officials said.
A man was shot inside a church in Salina, Kansas on Saturday morning after a chase with the Kansas Highway Patrol. The shooting took place at the Emmanuel Christian Center in the 1300 block of E. Cloud.
Police say that the man was able to get inside the first set of doors, which were unlocked. The man then pulled out a weapons, forcing officers to shoot him. The church was empty at the time.
The man has been taken to a local hospital. Police have not released the name or age of the man.
(NECN: Knoxville, Tenn.) – Community members attended the candlelight service in Knoxville, Tennessee last night despite thunder, lightning and torrential downpours. More than 1,000 people from different faiths attended the emotional service. Knoxville police say 58-year-old Jim Adkisson entered the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Church during Sunday morning’s service and opened fire with a 12-gauge shotgun. Greg McKendry, 60 and Linda Krager, 61 were killed during the shootings. Members of the church were watching children perform a production of “Annie, Jr.” at the time of the shooting. Adkisson is being held on charges of first-degree murder. His bail has been set at $1 million. If at all possible, forgiving the man who took two lives and put seven others in the hospital during a quiet Sunday service is the next step for the community to heal.
Question: What has your church done to prevent or react to this type of situation? Do you have an Active Shooter Plan? Does your employees know what emergency action to take in the event of an active shooter? Do you conduct Active Shooter Drills? Can you lock your office or classrooms? Call WSSC Ministry today to have a site specific Active Shooter Plan designed. Be “PROACTIVE, NOT REACTIVE”.
Columbus Field Division
March 18, 2010
(617) 827-8474
Shane Cartmill, SFM
(614) 752-7179
Alliance, Ohio. — Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Division of State Fire Marshal today issued a request for the public’s assistance in an ongoing arson investigation in Stark County. The Division of State Fire Marshal, through the Blue Ribbon Arson Committee, is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for last Saturday’s church fire in Alliance. The ATF is offering an additional $5,000, bringing the total reward to $10,000.
The fire at Salem United Methodist Church, 14113 Salem Church Street N.E. in Alliance, was reported at 7:44 a.m. on March 13. The fire was ruled arson after investigators eliminated accidental causes and found evidence indicating the fire was intentionally set. The specifics of that evidence will not be released at this time as this is an ongoing criminal investigation.
Investigators say the blaze caused more than $200,000 damage to the main sanctuary and basement of the church.
ATF is committed to pursuing arsonists that endanger firefighters and communities by their senseless actions. Anyone with information that can lead to identifying the person or persons responsible should contact ATF or the State Fire Marshals; you can make your community safer with a phone call
said Chris Sadowski, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Columbus Field Division.
Arson is a serious and potentially deadly crime that impacts and entire community,
said Interim State Fire Marshal Don Cooper. Someone has information about this fire, and we encourage them to come forward and provide details to investigators.
Anyone having information should call the ATF 24/7 hotline 1-888-ATF-FIRE (1-888-283-3473) or the Blue Ribbon Arson hotline 1-800-589-2728.
ATF is the federal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction for investigating crimes of arson. More information on ATF and its programs can be found at www.atf.gov
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