Vandals Cause Water Damage Inside Church

Vandals caused several thousand dollars worth of water damage to a Huntington Beach church when they pried open a window and inserted a hose that soaked the sanctuary and damaged the pews, police said Saturday.

Because of the vandalism, the Church of Christ on Huntington Street won’t hold services today, and probably will be closed for the week, officials said.

“This flood has put us out of business for a while,” said Pastor Frank Macy.

Church officials discovered the damage late Friday afternoon, when a Bible study teacher found the sanctuary flooded with an inch of water. The finish on the legs of pews was damaged.

Huntington Beach police took fingerprints from the scene. Macy, who has been pastor for about six years, said the church has good relations with the neighborhood and hasn’t faced vandalism before.

Some years ago, youngsters would sneak into the church to play, but nothing like that has happened in several years, the pastor said. These days, youngsters sometimes skateboard around the church but respect the property, he said.

“I don’t have any idea who would do this,” Macy said.

Parishioners helped remove water-damaged pews to a side room. One pew directly under the running hose was almost stripped of brown finish. Four high-powered blowers were positioned to dry the carpet to avoid mold and mildew.

Macy said the vandalism will likely deplete the few thousand dollars in the church emergency fund. He said that when the church accountant returns from vacation next week and contacts the insurance company, he’ll feel much better. The worst thing about the vandalism is not knowing who did it or why, church officials said.

“It’s hard to tell if this was just a prank or what,” said Anastasia Macy, the pastor’s wife. “We’re stunned.”