JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Three churches in the Riverside area have become the victims of vandalism in recent weeks. It’s a string of incidents that one church manager believes is targeting religious buildings.
Five Points Chapel and Gardens is a venue space located in a historical 1930s church.
On Sunday, a wedding was held there, but guests arrived to find their perfect location damaged.
“The bride and the groom, they were understanding about it, but everybody questioned why would somebody do something like this to this building," Holly Barry, a manager at Five Points Chapel and Gardens, said.
Pictures show the huge concrete slab, which was thrown through the window, leaving a gaping hole. Barry says it happened Saturday night or early Sunday morning, and their building was not the only target.
“We thought it was a hate crime at first but when we found out about The Well, obviously they’re attacking the churches," Barry explained.
The owners were not available for comment, but pictures show the damage from inside.
A quick walk around the neighborhood revealed another broken window across the street at The Riverside Primitive Baptist Church.
A church member there told us off camera this incident happened 2-3 weeks ago.
Barry believes the church buildings are being targeted. They estimate it will cost thousands to repair the damage.
“It’s just kinda a downer for us that somebody would do something like this towards us," Barry said. "Please do not destroy something of such beauty. You know we take a lot of pride and you almost ruined somebody’s day on their wedding for something like this."
Owners with the Five Points Chapel and Gardens are offering a $2,000 reward for any information on the vandals.