SAN ANTONIO — Caught on camera. For the past three years, a northwest side church has been targeted by a man throwing rocks and breaking windows.
Over the past month, Pastor Nathan Hornfeld with the Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church says the vandalism has intensified. Since November 11, Hornfeld says the church windows have been targeted five times.
“He would just come and quickly throw a big rock through a window and leave. It would usually just be one window," said Hornfeld.
Hornfeld says the man would wait four to six months, then come back again.
“This has gone on for the last three years and this has been the worst year," said Hornfeld.
Hornfeld says the man would usually hide his faceand normally come during the night. But during the last attack Friday morning at 6:30 a.m., he became more brazen.
”Doing it in the daytime hours, when he could more easily be caught and just showing his face without any effort to hide it," said Hornfeld.
Hornfeld says this time they got clear video and an image of the man. Hornfeld says the damage has been a financial burden on the church, costing them thousands of dollars. According to Hornfeld, each broken window cost $350 to board up and $500 to replace.
He says it's a financial blow because it's not enough to make an insurance claim but it's enough to wreck your budget.
“Nobody budgeted for that kind of damage in a year. We've certainly got other things we could spend that money on, so we're having a dip into our reserves to pay for the costs," said Hornfeld.
Hornfeld says he feels stressed about the financial burden and a responsibility to his congregation to find the man responsible for the damage.
San Antonio Police has a detective with their Property Crimes Unit assigned to the case and now the FBI is also investigating this as a possible hate crime.
Hornfeld says while the congregation wants the man caught, they have also been praying for his soul and wellbeing.
“I know some people in the congregation are concerned that it could escalate even more and he could do something violent," said Hornfeld.
If you know the identity of the man in the surveillance video, you can contact SAPD's Property Crimes Unit at 210-207-7990.