Guilty Plea Entered in Church Defacing : Courts: Hate-crime charges are dropped in a case in which police had once alleged satanism and racism. The 18-year-old faces no state prison time.

Phillip Michael Dunigan, accused of painting Satanic symbols and anti-Christian slogans on a Glendale church, carried a Bible into a Los Angeles courtroom Monday as he pleaded guilty to a single count of vandalizing religious property.

In exchange for his plea, prosecutors agreed to drop hate-crime allegations against the 18-year-old Dunigan when he returns to court for sentencing May 30. He also will be spared a state prison term.

“He’s a great kid,” said defense attorney Tonya Deetz. “He’s not a satanist.”

Dunigan, who has no prior criminal record, was clean-cut and polite as he entered his plea before Los Angeles Municipal Judge Elva Soper, answering the judge’s questions, “Yes, ma’am,” or “No, ma’am.”

Soper ordered Dunigan to remain in custody on $200,000 bail until his sentencing.

Under terms of his plea, Dunigan will remain on probation for three years, serve six months in county jail and perform 100 hours of community service, Deputy Dist. Atty. Ellen Aragon said. He also will repay $327.25 to the United Methodist Church of Glendale--his half of the cost of painting over the anti-Christian slogans spray-painted on the church on Feb. 26.

“Most of the symbols were from heavy-metal bands,” said Deetz, who added that police had overblown the case.

Dunigan’s plea provided an anticlimactic finish to a case that began with sensational allegations by police that they had apprehended four members of a satanic cult who idolized Charles Manson, the convicted and imprisoned murderer, and who hoped to incite racial unrest.

At a news conference, Glendale police had displayed goods seized during raids at the suspects’ homes: An AK-47 carbine, four knives and two electric guitars.

Prosecutor Aragon, who said her office never would have held such a press conference, said further investigation showed the gun didn’t work. And, she added, it is not against the law to possess the other items, or to practice satanism.

One of the defendants was never charged, Aragon said. Another, Damian Chavez, 18, of San Gabriel is awaiting trial on weapons charges. A third, Robert Nusselein, 19, of Los Angeles, recently was found mentally incompetent to stand trial and was committed to Patton State Hospital.