Broken glass littered the ground underneath the 15-passenger van as Pastor Jeromy Waunch surveyed the damage on Monday morning, November 26th. During the night, someone had used a club or rock to smash each window along the driver’s side of The Vine Community’s only vehicle. While insurance will cover the damages, the cost will be about $1,400.

In an interview with the Gazette, Waunch summarized the congregation’s response as “sad” and “concerned”. He said they were asking questions like, “Was this someone who was simply bored, or someone going through hard circumstances and they felt like lashing out through vandalism?” The congregation’s primary concern seemed to be with whoever perpetrated the vandalism, and Waunch echoed that as well: “I worry more for the one who did it than I do about the damage to the van.”

In the future, the van will be stored offsite and away from the heavier traffic on Crawford Street. There has only been one other vandalism attempt in the past, siphoning gas, but that attempt was unsuccessful for unknown reasons. Both the gas can and the siphoning tube were found partially used in the parking lot.

Law enforcement was contacted the day the broken windows were discovered, but no response has been made as of Thursday, November 29th.

By Caleb Stapp