MARIETTA, Ga. -- Cobb Police said they have arrested a man in connection with vandalisms at up to four churches over the past few months.
They said 32-year-old Clint Benjamin Vance was arrested in connection with the crimes after churchgoers at one location said he was caught on surveillance video in the act. Vance was charged with three counts of vandalism to a place of worship. Investigators said more charges are expected from both Cobb and Cherokee counties.
Parishioners at one location said an unknown vandal had come to their church twice to spray vulgar symbols and messages on their property - probably looking for a reaction. But they were not going to give it to them.
"It's kind of the same thing you learn as a kid," said Don Giles, member of Church of Christ in north Cobb, which was hit twice. "You don't give the bully the reaction they want and they'll leave you alone."
They have a utility building which the vandal hit first. A few days later, he allegedly hit the sanctuary's front doors. While it was easy to wash the paint off of the metal and glass of the church's front doors, the bright red paint was a bit more difficult to remove from the side of the church's utility shed.
Church of Christ was one of four Cobb County churches that was struck between April 29 and May 8; all of them within seven miles of each other.
Noonday Baptist Church said they have dealt with this sort of thing before, which is why they had set up a surveillance camera. Police said the images of the vandal they received from that camera showed a man between the ages of 35 and 50 who walks with a distinctive gait.
