5 Black Churches Vandalized In Morris County: Prosecutor

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A Morristown man was arrested for allegedly vandalizing five predominantly black churches in Morris County, Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp said.

Zuri C. Towns, age 45 of Morristown, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly damaging five churches in the greater Morristown area. He previously attended services at one of the churches, Knapp said.

Towns was charged with four counts of criminal mischief in the fourth degree and one count of criminal mischief in the third degree. Knapp said Towns confessed to the crime, and told police he was acting alone.

All five churches had damaged glass windows or exterior signs. Police shared this video of Towns, taken by a security camera:

Although investigated as a hate crime, Knapp said the alleged crimes did not fit the legal definition.

"As a result of the investigation, no evidence was obtained that would indicate this was a bias incident which legally requires purpose to intimidate a person or group based upon their protected class," Knapp said.

Five churches were vandalized:

• Church of God in Christ for All Saints, 3 Rowe Street, Morristown
• Bethel A.M.E. Church, 59 Spring Street, Morristown
• Calvary Baptist Church, 10 Martin Luther King Avenue, Morristown
• Union Baptist Church, 89 Spring Street, Morristown
• Morristown Church of Christ, 265 Martin Luther King Avenue, Morris Township

"What demonic spirit would possess someone to do this to our church sign and also the other African American churches in Morristown?" Pastor Sydney Williams, of Bethel A.M.E Church, wrote on Twitter.

Many local elected officials spoke out against the vandalism.

“I was saddened to learn this morning of the vandalism that occurred at the churches in Morristown last night. Unfortunately, acts like these have the potential to divide our communities even further. That is often the very desire of individual or individuals that engaged in these cowardly actions. As a community, we must resist that temptation and seize this opportunity to unite our community around all that is good," Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco said.

Senator Joe Pennacchio echoed that sentiment, writing, " It was with great sorrow that I saw that acts of vandalism were committed on a number of our Churches in Morris County. I would had hoped that we as Americans would have evolved past that type of behavior. We can however take solace in the fact that these acts have been universally condemned and have elicited wide spread revulsion among our community."

Image via Morris County Crime Stoppers