ATLANTA – A black man was arrested in Atlanta last month after he reportedly vandalized a historic Baptist church with hateful spray-painted images of swastikas as a hanging and other offensive messages, according to several reports.
James McIntyre, 60, was taken into custody by the Atlanta Police Department on February 19 in connection to the shocking vandalism. He was reportedly captured on surveillance cameras creating some hurtful imagery at the Providence Missionary Baptist Church on Benjamin E. Mays Drive, Fox 5 reported.
The front of the church building was tagged with multiple offensive messages, which included “devil worship 666,” “apostate,” “Satan,” “sin,” and at least one unspecified homophobic message. Moreover, the main doors to the facility had a backward swastika along with imagery of a hanging painted on them, 11 Alive reported.
During the investigation, police found McIntyre sitting across the street from the scene of the crime, according to authorities. He was subsequently taken into custody and charged with vandalism to a place of worship.
McIntyre had been removed from the property the previous Sunday for trespassing, according to the Atlanta Police Department.
Dr. Gerald Durley, the church’s former pastor, told Channel 2 Action News that he hopes those responsible will be prosecuted under hate crime laws.
“This is an atrocity to America. It’s sad when on a Sunday morning when people come to worship that these kinds of abusive markings are placed all over the building.” Durley said. “Any words are offensive when they attach someone’s race, gender or faith.”
According to jail booking records, McIntyre was released from custody the day following his arrest, the Post Millennial reported.
