Police in southern Utah are investigating after windows were broken overnight Wednesday at eight meetinghouses of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The first vandalism was reported at 12:30 a.m. and the final report came in at 3 a.m., said St. George police spokeswoman Tiffany Mitchell.
After police received a call of windows being broken at the first building, officers went out to canvass church buildings throughout the city, including those of other denominations, Mitchell said.
Only Latter-day Saint meetinghouses were affected, she added.
A witness in the area of one of the vandalized buildings reported seeing a light-colored Honda car, according to Mitchell. No other suspect information was available.
The following church buildings in St. George and Washington had windows broken: 3891 E. Desert County Parkway1750 Foremaster Drive, 3167 E. 1140 South, 1279 S. 3000 East, 2500 E. 350 North and 1068 W. Chandler Drive.
Hurricane police spokesman Dan Raddatz said his department learned about the vandalism from St. George police and also began patrolling churches. Between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m., they found two locations with vandalism: 270 S. 700 West and 658 W. 1500 South.
Mitchell said investigators are unlikely to find surveillance footage from the church buildings, but they may seek footage from cameras at nearby homes.
She did not have an estimate on the cost of damage.
While church buildings in southern Utah have faced vandalism in the past, it's fairly uncommon for windows to be broken during the incidents. On March 27, someone threw rocks through the windows of the Brigham Young Winter Home and museum, causing approximately $4,000 in damage.
Mitchell urged people who may have frustrations with an organization to seek to address them in more productive ways. She also encouraged residents to remain alert and let the police know if they see something suspicious happening in their communities.
The resident who alerted police about the first vandalism incident may have prevented additional incidents, as officers dispersed across St. George and surrounding cities to patrol churches, Mitchell added.