Santa Barbara police arrested a man on December 2 after he allegedly broke into Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Eastside Santa Barbara and damaged a mosaic of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Police officers were dispatched to the parish around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday after a passerby reported hearing glass breaking outside the church. The suspect charged at officers with a hammer upon arrival, according to Santa Barbara Police Department Commander Chris Payne. Police then tased and arrested the suspect.
The suspect, 53-year-old Antonio Dorado Arroyo, was charged with vandalizing a place of worship, felony vandalism, assault with a deadly weapon, and burglary. He is currently incarcerated at the Santa Barbara County Jail with a bail of $50,000 and is scheduled for a preliminary court hearing on December 11.
While Our Lady of Guadalupe is home to a large community of Latino parishioners on Santa Barbara’s Eastside and the attack occurred just a week before the Catholic celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Commander Payne said there is no evidence that religious or racial bias motivated the attack…