Reading, Pa. church vandalized 'beyond comprehension'
Chairs were tossed, piano keys were severely broken, and the church's television was punctured.
READING, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- An act of vandalism left a path of destruction and tens of thousands of dollars in damage at a church in Reading.
The pastor is now wondering who would do this and why.
"It's beyond comprehension," said Pastor Isaiah Adio.
Inside the Jesus Is Alive World Center in Reading, it's an unrecognizable house of worship.
Chairs tossed, sound equipment thrown to the ground, the piano keys severely broken and a punctured television -- all of a callous act of vandalism.
"The damage we have seen is not less than $70,000," said Adio.
Pastor Adio has led this church for 15 years and was shocked to find every room damaged Sunday morning.
The destruction he says is unfathomable, some of it beyond repair, like the stained-glass windows.
"Close to 100 years, they're irreplaceable; there's no way we can replace some of the damages," he said.
The vandals didn't stop there. A white powdery substance seen all over the carpet came from fire extinguishers, so now the carpets need to be replaced, too.
"We are not going to be frustrated, we will continue doing what we are doing for the body of Christ and our community," said Pastor Adio.
Pastor Adio is hopeful their insurance will cover the cost to replace most of it. He's also calling on the community to help with the cleanup process and to provide tips that might help investigators capture the suspects.
He says the vandals came in through the back door and were not captured on their surveillance cameras.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Reading police.
