United Church of Christ Vandalized Twice in Two Nights

The Menifee United Church of Christ has been vandalized and burglarized the last two nights, police confirmed today.

Deputy Mike Vasquez of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department told Menifee 24/7 that someone broke into the church Monday night and again Tuesday night. In the Tuesday night incident, a safe bolted to the floor of an office was stolen, including an unspecified amount of cash.

Rev. Bill Freeman said today the safe contained hundreds of dollars in cash and checks from Sunday's offering, as well as some legal papers. In the previous night's incident, knives were wedged between doors, trash was strewn about concrete patio benches were stolen.

The church has been in the news several times in the last year. Residents attended a City Council meeting a few months ago to protest Freeman's policy of allowing homeless people to sleep at the church and use some of its facilities. The church also posted a rainbow flag in support of the LGBT community on the side of the building and it has been stolen twice. A new flag has been installed once again.

"I don’t know if we were vandalized because we’re a liberal church in a conservative community," said Freeman, "but I have my suspicions."

Freeman said he has no idea about the identity of the individuals responsible. He said the church removed the homeless people about two months ago after complaints about drug sales and use on or near the property.

Vasquez said there was no graffiti or any kind of derogatory messages left at the scene.

"We're not considering them hate crimes," he said about the incidents. "Just because a church is broken into doesn't automatically make it a hate crime. We are investigating the crimes, but there is nothing to indicate anything about race, gender or prejudice."

The church is located at 26701 McCall Boulevard in the Sun City community within Menifee. Freeman said he wasn't sure how the intruder or intruders entered, but new locks and security cameras are being installed. He said that between the cash stolen, value of the items damaged and cost to boost security, the cost to the church might be as much as $4,000.