Vandals Target Churches, Businesses In Longmont
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4)- Police in Longmont are searching for the vandals responsible for damaging churches and businesses totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
The vandalism has occurred over the past two months in the Historic Longmont area.
Ahlberg Funeral Chapel was one of the locations hit. A boarded up window remains where a stained glass window once graced the property for decades.
Police hope to find out who broke that window and dozens of others like it in the historic neighborhood.
"These two represent the first damage in May," said Randy Ahlberg, owner of Ahlberg Funeral Chapel. "We have no idea who or why or are we being targeted?"
Ahlberg says the cost of replacing all the stained glass windows will reach several thousand dollars.
"Plus you have the multiple layers of protective glass on it as well as the stained glass itself," said Ahlberg.
The vandalism has happened all over Historic Longmont at schools, businesses, and other churches.
Police don't believe any particular business is being targeted but they do believe the crimes are being committed by the same suspect.
"The whole situation is just very sad," said First Lutheran Church spokesman Gus Brockman.
Brockman said vandals have broken several stained glass windows including one installed in the Sunday school room of the church that he calls irreplaceable.
"This window was put in with this part of the building in the 1950s," said Brockman.
In addition to the mounting repair costs, each of the windows was paid for and dedicated to members of their church and the Longmont community.
"It's not only that they broke a beautiful window, they broke a part of history for a family," said Brockman.
Police don't have much to go on but the suspect description is a man about 6-foot wearing dark clothing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Longmont Police (303) 651-8501.
