Vandals cause heavy damage to Leetonia church

LEETONIA — Police here are seeking information leading to the arrest of the vandal or vandals who caused heavy damage to St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church on Spruce Avenue.

Police Chief John Soldano said church parishioners were in the building until about 9 p.m. Monday, and the burglary was discovered by Pastor Kari Lankford around 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Entry was gained by breaking a window in an exterior door at the back of the church, Soldano said.

There appeared to be “no rhyme or reason for the crime,” the chief said, noting that the only items reported missing were a bottle of wine that Lankford recently brought back from Israel and a porcelain cup used in church services.

Soldano said he found the cup in some shrubbery across the street from the church.

Damage to the church will reach into the thousands of dollars, Soldano said, noting that pews from the balcony were thrown down to the sanctuary main floor, windows were broken and computers were thrown through a window and destroyed.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation helped gather evidence at the scene, and the building was released to the parishioners who began cleaning up the damage late Tuesday, the chief said.

He asked that anyone with information on the crime call the police at (330) 427-6731. Callers can remain anonymous, he said.