Los Angeles Times Investigation Reveals Pasadena Church Vandalism Fits Into Recent County-Wide Pattern

The January 13 incident in which vandals spray-painted a stone statue and the sidewalk outside the 129-year-old Church of the Angels in West Pasadena was apparently not an isolated incident, according to a Los Angeles Times investigation. The Times reported Saturday the incident resembled other vandalism cases at several other churches in Los Angeles County.

In Pasadena, the vandals broke into the Church of the Angeles at 1100 Avenue 64 and lit a fire in the sanctuary. They also sprayed the words “Jehovah” on the statue of an angel outside the church and broke her arms and a cross she carried on her back by throwing stones at it, the Times reported.

The Times said the vandals also spray-painted the words “Jehovah Lives” and a reference to an Old Testament Bible verse on the sidewalk, which read “And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.”

Father Robert Gaestel, the church’s rector, said the vandals entered the church by breaking part of the stained-glass window. They then piled hymnals and prayer books on pews and lit a fire, burning an oak angel statue used as a lectern, and an altar cross they threw into the flames, Gaestel said. The vandals also destroyed four pews inside the church.

Gaestel said two men who went for an early morning walk to see the church noticed the smoke and then the flames, and began to yell. Gaestel, who lives in the nearby rectory, woke up because of the noise.

“If they hadn’t come by, we wouldn’t have known,” Gaestel told the LA Times. “It sounds like a miracle. I’ll take it.”

The Times said the Bible verse spray-painted on the sidewalk was the same that was painted at the Ancient Church of the East Mar Shaleeta Parish, an Assyrian church in San Fernando, in a November 2016 incident.

In February 2017, police said they found similar graffiti at three West Covina churches: Christ Lutheran Church, St. Christopher Catholic Church and West Covina Christian Church, according to the Times.

In an email to parishioners, Gaestel said what happened at the Church of the Angels seemed to follow a pattern of incidents at other churches in the area.

Authorities said police are still searching for those responsible for the fire and vandalism. Lisa Derderian, spokesperson for the Pasadena Fire Department, said it appears there was more than one person involved.

The historic Pasadena church is a frequent filming location and has been featured in numerous movies, including the 1988 dark comedy “Heathers” and the 1944 film “Since You Went Away” starring Shirley Temple. On television, it was the church where Jim and Pam baptized their baby on “The Office” and where FBI agents apprehended a killer in an episode of “The X-Files.”

This week, film crews again worked on the lawn and sanctuary, as charred pews remained covered behind the building.

The church is accepting donations to repair the damage. To donate, visit www.coa-pasadena.org/giving.