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AZ man allegedly crashed SUV through church front
A person is behind bars, after authorities accuse him of damaging a church in Phoenix. The reason behind the alleged crime, however, is shocking. FOX 10's Brian Webb reports.
PHOENIX - A man is behind bars and accused of damaging a Phoenix area church, after the man claimed he saw demons in the building's stained-glass windows.
What we know:
The incident happened on the afternoon of Aug. 27 at the Holy Family Chaldean Catholic Church, located near 21st Avenue and Bell Road.
Security video shows an SUV barreling through a locked steel gate before smashing through the church’s front doors. The vehicle then struck the doors a second time, damaging another set of painted doors inside.
Dig deeper:
The suspect, identified as James Paul Stanley, has made his appearance in court. The self-proclaimed demon hunter claimed he saw evil figures in the blood-red stained-glass windows.
A police report shows Stanley tried to buy a gun illegally a few days earlier and lied on the corresponding paperwork. He incorrectly claimed he had no criminal history and did not use drugs, but later admitted he lied and has a meth addiction.
Local perspective:
On Aug. 29, the front doors of the church, which has a congregation mostly made up of Iraqi Christians, are still boarded up.
"We came from a country [where] we had no safety there, and then we see this?" said church member Steeva Syawish.
Following Stanley's arrest, he apologized and pledged to pay for repairs.
"He says that he saw demon. I don’t know, you guys been here for a while. Did you see any demon? I don’t see any demon here," said one churchmember.
What's next:
Stanley is facing allegations of damage, forgery, and weapons-related offenses.
As for the church, the damage to the gate, doors, and stained-glass windows will cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair.
For the congregation, however, a sense of safety is harder to replace.
"So we are strong and we’re gonna stay stronger. That’s for sure," said a churchmember.