San Antonio – A Northwest Side church is hoping to identify a man its pastor said has busted multiple windows in the past month.
In security video recorded at 6:30 a.m. Friday, a man in a hoodie and jeans is seen running up to the Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church off Interstate 10 and Utex Boulevard.
The man is also heard yelling, “It’s me, n----! It’s me!” while staring at the security camera. He then hurled two stones through one of the church’s windows and walked off toward the I-10 access road.
Pastor Nathan Hornfeld said he doesn’t know who the man is beyond believing him to be the same person who has smashed five windows at the church in roughly a month.
Hornfeld shared two other videos from Nov. 13 and Nov. 21 that show a man running up and chucking rocks at the church windows in a similar fashion.
“I think he probably lives in the area, and he’s angry,” Hornfeld told KSAT.
Though it’s an intense spurt of vandalism, it’s not unprecedented for the church. Hornfeld has had several glass windows and doors broken over the past three years.
A video of a November 2021 incident showed a man firing a large rock through the front door. Only the back of the man’s head is visible in the clip, but — from his throwing form — it appears to be a different person than the man in the more recent clips.
Still, Hornfeld believes many of the incidents over the past three years have been the work of the same vandal.
“It seems like he waits until we repair them, and then he comes right back,” Hornfeld said.
Hornfeld told police on Nov. 15 that he told some people experiencing homelessness to leave the property and that they might have been upset about it.
Judging by the rock thrower’s clothes in the recent videos, Hornfeld told KSAT that he doesn’t believe the man in Friday’s video is experiencing homelessness.
“You know, with God, there’s forgiveness, and we would forgive this person for these actions,” Hornfeld said. “I do think he needs to face justice for what he’s done. He’s caused a lot of damage.”
Hornfeld hopes someone will recognize the vandal from the recent videos and contact the San Antonio Police Department.
“Just please stop doing this,” Hornfeld said when asked about his message for the vandal. “The police are going to catch you sooner or later.”
Anyone with information on the vandal’s whereabouts can call SAPD’s Property Crimes Task Force at 210-207-8326.