WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — The Wheat Ridge Police Department has arrested a man accused of a series of vandalism and damage incidents around a shopping center in the Wheat Ridge area Tuesday which they say total tens of thousands of dollars.
Police said Wednesday via their Facebook page that a man vandalized businesses around the Safeway Center located at Wadsworth Boulevard and West 38th Avenue, as well as a church.
Officers responded to a call Tuesday morning about reports that a man was using rocks to smash and shatter the windows of businesses, some of which were already open for the day, police said.
At McDonald’s, the police said terrified workers heard the glass break and had no idea what was happening or if they were safe. That's where officers made contact with the man, and once he was in custody, officers learned the same suspect had also broken into a nearby church where he ripped out ceiling tiles, smashed a window and vandalized the building, including destroying religious materials and urinating on the floor.
Overall, the police said there is likely upwards of $20,000 in damage.
"We are relieved your 911 calls allowed officers to encounter him when we did and possibly prevent further destruction, but are sorry for those impacted by this spree," the police say in the post.
The suspect was jailed and is facing a multitude of charges including Burglary and Criminal Mischief, the police said.
Police have not released the identity of the suspect and have not said which church was damaged.
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