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GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga — Gwinnett County police are investigating after they say a man caused thousands of dollars in damages to four different churches in a single morning.
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Authorities arrested 41-year-old David Rangel on Tuesday night, charging him with 12 felony counts after he allegedly used a ratchet to smash windows at the churches.
The incidents occurred early Tuesday morning at one 12Stone Church location and three other churches in the Buford area.
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Video from a Gwinnett County church showed a man in a hoodie walk up to a glass door holding a ratchet in his hand. He used it to immediately start smashing the glass at a 12Stone Church location, smashing all the windows he could see before he walked away and got into his car.
Gwinnett police say Rangel spent four hours doing the same thing at four different churches. Police said Rangal smashed windows and a security camera at Zione Hill Baptist Church. Victory Church in Hamilton Mill had boarded up windows after the attack. One of the other 12Stone locations was also hit.
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“It doesn’t appear there was any logical reasoning, any possible motive either behind this,” police said.
Authorities tracked Rangel using geofencing and license plate readers, which placed his vehicle at each crime scene.
Police have not determined why these particular churches were targeted, but they have confirmed that the damages will cost each institution thousands of dollars in repairs.
“The suspect confessed to the vandalism and was taken into custody,” police said.
Rangel is currently held on a $68,000 bond and faces four counts of felony vandalism at a place of worship.
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