Vandalized church gives gifts to suspect

Vandalized church gives gifts to suspect

© 2006 The Associated Press

MISSOULA, Mont. — Congregants of a church that was badly vandalized have collected "love baskets" full of electronics for the three suspects.

"The judge will give them consequences, but as a congregation we want to reach out and extend love and mercy to them," said Jason Reimer, a pastor at the South Hills Evangelical Church. "A lot of us, whether we're churchgoers or not, have been in their shoes before and have made some bad choices. But God forgives us."

Justin Wurth, 18, Duane Barry, 19, and Tyler Pearce, also 19, are accused of breaking into the church just before midnight Nov. 12. Police say they stole money and electronic equipment, smashed windows and computer monitors and sprayed a fire extinguisher in the church gym.
Authorities arrested them at the church and charged them with felony burglary. It was not immediately clear whether they had lawyers.

"We've collected several hundred dollars' worth of gift cards, X-Boxes and controllers, a DVD, a VCR," Reimer said. "All three young men still live with their parents or grandparents, so we hope the message will be clear."