Farmington Police Investigating Vandalism At Retreat Center

WEST HARTFORD-FARMINGTON, CT — Police are investigation an apparent act of vandalism which took place in the overnight hours Tuesday at the Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center on Tunxis Avenue, straddling the West Hartford and Farmington town lines.

Leaders of the center wrote on Facebook, "Terrible vandalism at Holy Family last night. Our beautiful Peace Garden in honor of Fr. John Baptist has been desecrated. The delicate ceramic Stations of the Cross have been marred. We are in shock. This kind of destruction has never happened here before."

Pictures on the center's page show an upside-down cross and the numerals 666, both believed to be Satanic or occult-related symbols, painted on various items on the property.

Farmington police are conducting the investigation, and Lt. Timothy McKenzie said, "It appears to be a possible hate crime, but until we identify and interview a suspect, it is difficult to prove that was the intent. We have added extra patrols and are in the process of identifying the two vehicles captured on surveillance video the night before the vandalism was reported."

Surveillance video depicting four individuals exiting a pickup truck and climbing atop a statue was shown to a reporter from Fox61, and may be seen in its report here.

"We have received an unbelievable amount of solidarity regarding this shocking desecration," retreat leaders wrote on Facebook. "We will soon install more and stronger cameras. Please ask the state to fix the fence to the old highway. This brings malicious activity every week, especially at night, and our retreat participants want to feel safe. Farmington police are involved as well as the FBI for religious hate crimes."