CROWLEY — Crowley police are investigating a case of vandalism at a local church.
They say someone threw a padlock through one of the stained glass windows at First Lutheran Church on West 8th Street. It happened sometime after Sunday's 11 a.m. service.
At this time, investigators don't know if it was a hate crime or how many people were involved.
"I would like to think it was probably just some kids that got carried away," said the pastor's wife Debbie Greene. "I'd hate to think it was actually targeting us, but then again, you don't know."
Greene returned to the church Monday morning to find a broken window and the padlock that was left behind.
"They must have thrown it with some force because the plexiglass is the heavy quarter-inch. It broke both the plexiglass, and the shards from the stained glass went all the way, almost to the pulpit," said Greene.
First Lutheran Church was built in 1895 and stands in the same place on W 8th street.
Greene says their congregation is small and that the church hadn't been vandalized in over 20 years.
"We're very close-knit. We're a very small congregation. We have less than 15 members," explained Greene.
The pastor's wife believes the stained glass windows were installed in the 1940s. Repairs will cost about $3,000.
"Most of all our repairs have always been done through donations by the members. So, we will have a meeting, and we'll discuss just exactly how we're going to handle that," said Greene.
If you would like to make a donation the church, you can stop by the church on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Checks are to be made out to First Lutheran Church. They can be mailed to:
First Lutheran Church
PO Box 1446
Crowley, LA 70527
Anyone with information or surveillance video of the area is asked to call the Crowley Police Department.
