Crime & Safety
Church Sign Vandal Caught By Police In Morristown
The 22-year-old man turned himself in at the Morristown Police Department headquarters on May 30, authorities said.
MORRISTOWN, NJ — The vandal who was caught on surveillance footage near the Morristown church last week after a sign promoting equality was damaged has been charged.
According to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, a 22-year-old man turned himself in at the Morristown Police Department headquarters on May 30.
The man, whose name has not been released by police, allegedly saw surveillance photos of himself released through the Crimestoppers program last weekend.
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In a Facebook post this past weekend, the Morristown Department of Public Safety released photos of a "rowdy and destructive group" that police said were walking east on South Street around 1:26 a.m. on Saturday, May 20.
The surveillance photos were taken around the same time that a sign promoting equality was split in half in front of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer on South Street.
Find out what's happening in Morristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The sign was near a series of rainbow flags that were set up outside the building on May 19, according to Rev. Cynthia Black, rector of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer.
The vandalism occurred so soon after the flag display was set up, and the sign's message of inclusivity, as well as its proximity to the flags, prompted the Morris County Prosecutor's Office to investigate the act as a possible bias incident.
According to authorities, the vandalism did not meet the criteria for a bias-based or hate crime because the evidence established an intent only to cause property damage.
“Based on our investigation, we believe this defendant demonstrated conduct that is actionable but not indicative of a hate-based crime," Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said.
The defendant was charged with third-degree criminal mischief and released on a summons. A subsequent investigation determined that charges against the other individuals were not warranted.
The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer is now accepting donations to replace the vandalized welcome sign because the church's insurance is unlikely to cover the cost of repair.
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