Police have arrested a man in connection to burglary and vandalism at a Catholic school in Washington, D.C., and will investigate the incident as a potential hate crime.
Demitrius Hansford, 32, was arrested on Wednesday on charges of theft, burglary, and property destruction related to recent vandalism at St. Anthony Catholic School in northeast Washington. The arrest comes after two separate incidents five days apart.
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In the first incident, Hansford destroyed two benches, a window sill, and a statue of the school’s namesake at about 11 p.m. on Aug. 10 before fleeing the scene, according to police. The head of the statue is still missing, according to the school.
“These spaces that were vandalized were created by the generous donations from school families and from the community for the community,” reads an online fundraising page created by local residents. “Many neighborhood volunteers have put sweat equity into making our outdoor space inviting and welcoming for all. The playgrounds have always remained unlocked so that they are available for the neighborhood. This wasn’t a just a loss for our church and school but truly a loss for the community.”
Organizers have created an online fundraiser to raise funds to replace the statue and benches, surpassing more than $31,700 in donations as of Thursday. Any leftover funds will go toward increasing the school’s security, the group said.
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The second incident took place five days later on Monday at about 7:50 a.m. when Hansford entered the building and stole $1,400 in cash and destroyed two more statues and candles, according to police.
The Metropolitan Police Department is still investigating the incident and will seek to determine if it was “motivated in whole or in part by hate or bias.”
