On Feb. 1, several vulgar messages, including the numbers “666,” were found to be spray painted on Spring Hill Church of Christ, 2021 Brell Drive; Liberty Retirement Community of Middletown, 4440 Vannest Ave.; and on the garage door of a home in the 2100 block of Spencer Lane, according to police.
“Both admitted to doing it; we’re also looking for a third person who may or may not be involved,” Reeve said, noting neighbors informed detectives about possible suspects.
“They didn’t seem like bad kids,” Reeve said of his impression of the boys after questioning. “They haven’t been in much trouble before, kind of surprising.”
Reeve said the suspects didn’t give a motive for vandalizing the church. He said there was no surveillance video of the crime.
But Camera Security Now, 6730 Roosevelt Avenue in Middletown, has offered to donate eight surveillance cameras to the church. Sales manager Randy Lewis, who is also a member of Spring Hill Church of Christ, read about the crime, which was first reported by this newspaper, and wanted to do something about it.
“To think someone would do that to a church, it’s awful,” Lewis said.
He ran the idea of donating the eight security cameras, which cost approximately $1,500, past his boss and then spoke Monday with the church’s senior minister, Steve Reeves.
“They loved it. They said, ‘Yeah, let’s make it happen,’” Lewis said.
Company employees and church members will begin installing the cameras around the outside of the church on Saturday morning. Lewis said the peace of mind in knowing your business or home is protected when you’re not present is priceless.
“They do prevent crime,” Lewis said of the security cameras. “People think it’s too expensive, but it’s really not.”
Reeve agreed the cameras would be a great tool in preventing crime.
“Video surveillance cameras always help us out with our cases,” he said. “What a good way to protect your asset.”
Church officials said they were “so appreciative” and “ecstatic” about the donation.
Rita Kremer, secretary at the church, said criminals have also targeted Spring Hill’s playground, which has been vandalized at least three times in the past 12 months.
“I am really looking forward to the surveillance camera so the playground won’t be vandalized anymore,” Kremer said.
Kremer said it’s good to know the suspects in the most recent vandalism have been caught and that “we would like to see them in church; that would be awesome.”
Minister Reeves said he wasn’t angry at those who vandalized his church, even though demeaning phrases mocking his congregation’s faith were used.
“I look at that as a cry for help,” Reeves said. “God loves them, we love them, and as a church, we’ve been praying for them.”
Reeves arrived at the church around 4:30 a.m. Sunday, but said he did not notice the vandalism until a few hours later. Church workers only had two and a half hours to try to clean the obscene messages from the building before the first service began at 8:30 a.m. A name and a vulgar word were also spray painted on a church bus, he said.
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