Churches Targeted

Five Santa Cruz churches target of 'hate crime'

Five Santa Cruz churches target of 'hate crime'
By Cathy Smith
sentinel staff writer
SANTA CRUZ — Vandals struck five Santa Cruz churches, a Christian bookstore and the historic Santa Cruz Mission Adobe on Saturday night in what police are calling a hate crime.

The vandals used a stencil to leave specially crafted messages and images about a half-foot across. One depicted a cross with an equal sign followed by a swastika. Church leaders said another stated "Abort Christ," a message one minister called "stunning and distressing."

The targeted churches included Holy Cross, Messiah Lutheran, High Street Community, First Congregational and Calvary Episcopalian. Also struck was the Agnus Dei Christian bookstore on Cedar Street and the Santa Cruz Mission Adobe park, which is near Holy Cross.

The Rev. Mark Stetz of Holy Cross said the messages seemed so general that it is not clear what the person or people were upset about. He said the church reaches out to all members of the community and tries to promote social justice.

"There is nothing constructive about what they did," he said. "It's just damaging and destructive, and the resources needed to repair those things could have been used to help people in other ways."

Santa Cruz police Lt. Rick Martinez called it a calculated act that included designing stencils.

"We're very concerned," he said. "We're definitely investigating this as a hate crime, and it is definitely prioritized as such."

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At least two churches had the disturbing messages painted on entrance steps, presumably so members would see them on the way to Sunday morning services.

The Rev. Nancy Miller, interim pastor at Calvary Episcopalian Church, called the "Abort Christ" message "awful."

"I rather presume it was a stupid prank, but I'm fearful it might be something else. I just don't know," she said. "I'm grateful it was found before the first service. It's very stunning and distressing."

Both the historic adobe and Holy Cross were tagged with similar graffiti in October, and Stetz is concerned it's becoming "habitualized." In the earlier incidents, however, the words were drawn using marker and spray paint.

Martinez said officers are "taking a hard look" at whether the damage was done by the same person, as the messages are similar and the crime fairly rare.

Restoration of the lime-washed mud walls of the historic adobe is costly and time-consuming, State Parks officials said; October's damaged wall remains covered with white fabric, as does Saturday's vandalism on at least one additional wall.

"We are exploring our options," Supervising Ranger Todd Allen said. "It hasn't happened a whole lot in the past. We can't just go in and sandblast it off of there."

Parks officials are exploring security options, he added.

At First Congregational, associate pastor Shannon Spencer said she hoped the vandal finds a better way to communicate: "It's sad this is the only way they feel they can be heard. We are an open community that welcomes people's perceptions of God and faith, and we are OK with disagreement. I would hope we could build a bridge and come to some reconciliation."

Graffiti is a problem countywide, but officers said graffiti and gang "taggings" are rarely placed on church buildings.

Investigators asked that anyone with information on the crime call 420-5820.

Contact Cathy Smith at csmith@santacruzsentinel.com.