York County man used baseball bat to break windows at 4 Lake Wylie churches, sheriff says
A York County man has been charged with causing more than $75,000 in damage to four Lake Wylie churches Sunday after using a baseball bat to break windows and doors, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies arrested Julius Lazay Alston, 18, on four counts of malicious injury to a place of worship and property damage charges Sunday morning, according to York County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Trent Faris, jail records and incident reports from the cases.
Windows were found smashed at churches near S.C. 49 and S.C. 274 before services began Sunday, Faris said. The area is south of the North Carolina state line.
Redeeming Grace Presbyterian Church had almost $55,000 in damage to the sanctuary, fellowship hall, nursery and offices, according to a sheriff’s incident report.
Three other churches — Good Samaritan United Methodist Church, River Hills Community Church and Lake Wylie Christian Assembly — had a combined damage of more than $21,000, officials said in the reports.
A deputy who was responding to a vehicle break-in report at apartments before 7 a.m. in Lake Wylie heard glass breaking, then saw someone breaking windows nearby at the Good Samaritan church, reports show. Officers then responded to the other churches where leaders had found damage.
At least one of the churches has security video showing the windows being broken, reports show.
Deputies took Alston into custody while he was walking near S.C. 49, according to the reports. A possible motive for the damage to the churches remains unclear.
Alston remains in the York County Jail under a $106,375 bond, records show.
