Vandals set fire inside church, burn American flag

Vandals broke into a church in Rome and caused thousands of dollars in damage. They set fires and even burned an American flag along with some clothes from the nursery as well as prayer booklets.

It looks bad, but the Reverend Linda Pineo knows it could have been much worse. "We feel blessed the fire didn't spread, the church could have been destroyed and we could have come to a pile of ashes," said Rev. Pineo.

Just outside the doors to the sanctuary, there was a food donation basket filled with canned goods. Those were also set on fire, causing the cans to explode. There are several holes punched in the walls and graffiti sprayed in the hallway. A large flat screen TV is gone.

Rome Police said they're working some leads and have taken fingerprints. Investigators also want anyone in the community with information to come forward.

Rev. Pineo said they will look into a security system, but said there is no guarantee that will prevent something like this from happening again. "It may deter people, save us some aggravation but that's not where our safety is, our safety is in God," said Rev. Pineo.