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For nearly two hours, a man wearing blue jeans and no shirt could be seen vandalizing the outside of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Tioga in the early morning hours Wednesday on video from the church’s security video. (Photo: Courtesy of Immaculate Heart of Mary)

For nearly two hours, a man wearing blue jeans and no shirt could be seen on security video vandalizing the outside of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Tioga in the early morning hours Wednesday.

In a press release issued by the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Department, detectives identified the alleged suspect as Chandler D. Johnson, 23 of Pineville.

The release states the detectives “established sufficient probable cause for an arrest warrant and on September 10th, Johnson was located and taken into custody without incident.”

Johnson was booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center 1 for one count criminal trespassing and one count institutional vandalism >$500. Bond has been set at $6,000.00 and Johnson remains in jail at the time of this release.

“He walked around both buildings in their entirety,” said Tara Christen, parish office manager at the church, said of the suspect. “And bashed everything that he could.”

Father Rev. Rickey Gremillion arrived at the church around 8 a.m. for morning mass and noticed a wreckage of flower pots, dirt and broken glass.

“He made a walkthrough and realized we’d been vandalized,” said Christen. “And he checked the cameras – and yes we were.”

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For nearly two hours, a man wearing blue jeans and no shirt could be seen vandalizing the outside of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Tioga in the early morning hours Wednesday on video from the church’s security video. (Photo: Courtesy of Immaculate Heart of Mary)

One person could be seen on the video arriving around midnight Wednesday and not leaving until after 2 a.m.

“He’s the only person who showed up on all the cameras,” said Christen. 

“No one notified us and nobody heard it or saw it,” said Christen.

The church is located across from Tioga High School on Tioga Road next to the blocked off portion of the road beside the railroad tracks.

“And of course nobody passes this way so they wouldn’t see it,” said Christen.

“He totally damaged the exterior – and it was just sheer rage,” she said. “You could tell. He was in a rage. He did not enter the buildings. He destroyed the exterior of both buildings.”

Planters and statues were among the things the suspect threw at the buildings, destroying panes of glass including sandblasted and stained; three exterior statues; window frames and multiple doors.

“He tried to destroy our huge Mary statue but she’s affixed so he couldn’t get her down,” said Christen. The statue was damaged so it will have to have to be refinished.

The videos show that the suspect did not enter the buildings.

“Although he did have opportunity,” said Christen. “There were windows he could basically have stepped in when he broke them.”

Nothing in the buildings was stolen as far as they know.

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Then after two hours, the suspect could be seen casually walking away, said Christen. The videos show no lights from or any reflections of light that could be from a vehicle.

“He walked up to the front of the building and walked away from the front of the building in the same direction,” she said.

“Whenever churches or other religious buildings or locations are intentionally damaged, we consider the possibility this is more than just vandalism” said Sheriff Mark Wood. “At this time, this appears to be a more of a crime of opportunity by this suspect.”

“It’s just heartbreaking and totally unnecessary,” said Christen, her voice breaking with emotion. “Somebody’s got to recognize him. Somebody knows who this person is because even though (Hurricane) Laura messed up our cameras a little bit, if you know him, you know him.”

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