Prized Church Windows Smashed, Repeat Offender Charged In South OC

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — A San Dimas man was charged Tuesday with vandalizing a Newport Beach church, just days after he was released from jail in a separate vandalism case.

Nicolas Alexandro Briones, 27, was released from jail April 11 after pleading guilty March 29 to a felony count of vandalism, jail and court records show. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail on March 29 and placed on two years of formal probation in connection with the March 10 crime, according to court records.

Newport Beach police were dispatched to Christ Church by the Sea, 1400 W. Balboa Blvd., in response to a vandalism call.

When officers arrived, the church's stained glass windows were shattered. Parishioners who helped clean up the mess later that morning described the glass almost like snow to the Daily Pilot.

"[Glass] was just everywhere," Jacqueline Ingels told the Daily Pilot. "Nancy [Remley] and everyone who came down, we just got about 15 and 15 people and cleaned it up in about three to four hours. But it was just heartbreaking. My daughter was baptized here."

Investigators do not have any evidence that the vandalism amounted to a hate crime, authorities said.

Briones was charged Tuesday with single felony counts each of vandalism and vandalism of religious property, court records showed.

Senior pastor Rev. Paul Capetz told the Daily Pilot that, with the exception of two stained glass windows that are positioned out of reach, all of the windows on the side of the church that looks out to the street were broken.

Residents can help Christ Church by the Sea recover after the recent act of vandalism by donating to the church's GoFundMe.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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