FORT MYERS, Fla. (CBS12) — A Florida church was left in disarray after deputies say a man broke in, trashed the sanctuary, damaged instruments, and left behind a bizarre scene outside.
Sheriff Carmine Marceno say 19-year-old Aaron Vicente is accused of burglarizing Gateway Trinity Lutheran Church on Saturday with the intention of destroying property.
According to investigators with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Vicente flipped tables and chairs, damaged a drum set, and allegedly smashed a guitar against a tree outside the church.
The bizarre incident didn’t end there.
Deputies say Vicente defecated in the church parking lot before jumping into the mud and drawing various symbols on himself.
Deputies quickly located and detained Vicente, according to LCSO.
Because of the nature of the incident, the sheriff’s office Intelligence Unit took over the investigation.
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Vicente was booked into jail for counts of burglary of an unoccupied structure, criminal mischief to a church or synagogue, and false alarms of fire.
The church addressed the incident in a post to their Facebook page:
Sheriff Marceno addressed the arrest Tuesday, emphasizing the sheriff’s office’s commitment to protecting places of worship.
This suspect released havoc, damaging the property of this church. We understand mental health is important, but so is the safety of our community, and we will stop at nothing to uphold that.”
Vicente was booked into jail for counts of burglary of an unoccupied structure, criminal mischief to a church or synagogue, and false alarms of fire.