An Iowa teen was charged with hate crimes Wednesday after he allegedly defaced churches, a courthouse and other buildings with "shocking and criminal" anti-gay slurs, police said.
An Iowa teen was charged with hate crimes Wednesday after police say he spray-painted homophobic slurs on two churches and several other buildings during his town's Pride Festival.
Caeden-Philip Nyanjenga, 18, was arrested and charged with felony counts of criminal mischief and criminal mischief-hate crime, according to online court records.
The teen also faces a misdemeanor charge of trespassing with intent to commit a hate crime.
Decorah Police called Nyanjenga's alleged acts "shocking and criminal." The vandalism occurred over the weekend, as the Decorah Pride Festival staged a parade and other events in the city of 7,500 in northern Iowa.
Community members rallied to clean the churches, the local courthouse and other sites where hate graffiti, including "God hates gays," had been scrawled in spray paint.
"Fear and hate is not what God is about. We worship the God of love and peace," said Decorah Lutheran Church in a social media post.
The church's exhibit of rainbow-colored doors, with the words "God's Doors Are Open To All," was defaced.
"Today we read from Romans 14:10-11. 'Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God," the church said.
The teen's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 9, according to Winneshiek County Criminal Court records, and he has not entered a plea. There is no attorney of record listed for the teen.
He was released on his own recognizance Wednesday afternoon, a spokeswoman for the Winneshiek County Jail told Inside Edition Digital.
The Decorah Police Department and Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office are continuing to investigate and said other arrests are possible.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 563-382-3997, or the sheriff's office at 563-382-4268.
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