Child accused of vandalizing Florida church with hate speech, racial slurs: police

MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Melbourne Police Department has arrested a juvenile for allegedly defacing a local church.

What happened?

What we know:

On March 2, police responded to private and public property along Pineapple Avenue, between West Eau Gallie Blvd and Riverview Drive, for a vandalism report.

Several building signs and structures, including the Jesus is Lord Church on Pineapple Avenue, along with city-owned properties, were defaced with hate speech, racial slurs, and other forms of offensive language and symbolism, authorities said.

Investigators collaborated with the Brevard County School District and community members to identify the child responsible. The child was arrested on April 4 and turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

What we don't know:

The child's age and identity have not been immediately released, but officials said they are facing a charge of felony criminal mischief with a hate crime enhancement.

Dig deeper:

Further investigation showed that the juvenile had done something similar on Jan. 20 in a neighborhood near Parkway Drive and Stewart Road in Melbourne, according to police.

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