A Fort Bragg man was arrested this week for vandalizing a church in what is being described as a hate crime, the Fort Bragg Police Department reported.
Officers did not find anyone inside the church when they arrived, but determined that the suspect had broken in and set off several fire extinguishers, “covering the interior and expensive office equipment with destructive fire retardant powder. Several ceiling tiles were damaged and broken, as well as water and cases of soda being poured on the chairs, floors and walls of the sanctuary.”
Given that the suspect, identified as 25-year-old Dylan Morris of Fort Bragg, had allegedly broken into a clergy member’s home the night before the break-in, “law enforcement and clergy had reason to believe Morris had reasonable motive to commit the acts against the place of worship.”
