Church Becomes Victim of Vandalism ‘All Around Us’

An El Cajon church that is often the target of vandals was fire-bombed Monday night, causing $12,500 in damage to the ground floor of the two-story building, according to police and fire officials.

Vandals broke a window at the Meridian Southern Baptist Church on 3rd Street and used paint thinner and other flammable materials to start the fire, El Cajon police said. A passer-by reported the fire at 11:35 p.m., and the blaze was “quickly suppressed,” police said.

An aerosol can of paint stripper and a can of black spray paint were found outside the church, police said. The walls had signs, the names of musical groups and the phrase, “Life is wasted on the living” spray-painted on them, police said.

Church officials said vandalism has been a problem for two years; recently several windows were shattered by rocks. But this was the first time the church, which was founded in 1959, had been set on fire, according to Pastor Jerry Bennett.

Bennett said that the church had received no threats before this latest incident.

Brenda Green, church secretary for 10 years, said members have come to expect vandalism.

“This vandalism type of thing is not new, and it’s increased in the last two years to where one of the first things I do every morning is a visual check to see if anything is out of place,” Green said.

In the past, vandals have smashed windows, ransacked offices and sprayed graffiti on the walls.

“It’s all around us,” Green said of the vandalism. An elementary school and a shopping center across the street from the church have also been heavily vandalized recently, Green said.

A security system has been installed at the church and a heavy chain placed in front of the church driveway.

Still, Green said, empty alcohol bottles are regularly found in the parking lot and one time illegal drug paraphernalia were found.

Police have no suspects in the fire.