Police charge man in vandalism of two Calgary churches

CALGARY — Calgary police have charged a man following the vandalism of churches in the city earlier this summer.

On the night of June 30, 11 churches had orange and red paint placed on the exterior, with one window being smashed so paint could be thrown inside.


Ten churches vandalized across Calgary

Calgary police looking for tips in string of suspicious church vandalisms


Handprints with the number “215” were also painted on the churches, leading police to believe the vandalism was in response to the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential schools.

After no luck searching through CCTV footage and evidence from the scene, a detective attending an unrelated incident noticed a man who closely matched one of the vandalism suspects.

Identifying the suspect resulted in more evidence coming to light and charges have now been laid in connection to two of the churches that were vandalized.

Sebastian Rodriguez-Huerta, 23, has been charged with two counts of mischief to a property primarily used for religious worship.

Police also believe these incidents meet the threshold of being hate-motivated crimes.

WATCH: Police are looking for help from the public after several churches were vandalized in Calgary. 

Police say the investigation into the remaining vandalized churches, as well as a church arson around that same time, continue.

“Our Service continues to be aware of the ongoing trauma and tensions in the community regarding the tragic and heartbreaking stories about the Residential School System that have been shared this year,” CPS said in a release.

“We want to assure the community that we are fully committed to working towards peaceful reconciliation and a recognition of our past, while still performing our duties of upholding the law and protecting public safety.”

Anyone with information on the other church vandalism incidents are being asked to contact police.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today