Eja Cree

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – A 31-year-old Birmingham man with fanatical religious beliefs is being held by authorities in connection with the vandalism of more than 20 churches, homes and businesses across Jefferson County.

Eja Cree, 31, and another suspect, 45, were taken into custody late Friday afternoon by Jefferson County sheriff's deputies. Deputies, Hueytown police and FBI agents interviewed the suspects for several hours at the sheriff's substation in Center Point.

Chief Deputy Randy Christian said Cree is charged with first-degree criminal mischief for vandalizing Mountain View Baptist Church. Cree told detectives the Holy Spirit spoke to him and told him to "get the message out". The word painted on churches means, to him, Jesus is coming, Christian said. The second person interviewed was released after it was determined that he was not involved.

Additional charges are pending against Cree, Christian said. "I think we are just dealing with mental illness here and we are relieved to discover that,'' Christian said. "I would hate to think someone in their right mind would do something like this."

Vandals struck churches across Jefferson County overnight, spray-painting a single word on doors, sidewalks and buildings. Delivered in purple paint, the word was "Memeneusha," or variations of it.

The suspect, formerly in the U.S. Air Force reserves, in recent days posted several rambling YouTube videos. One was 15 minutes long, and he is wearing a scarf and sunglasses to conceal his identity.

Most of the vandalism was believed to have been done late Thursday night and early Friday morning.

Four of the six major churches in Pleasant Grove were struck: Bethel Baptist Church, First Baptist Church, Church of the Nazarene and Pleasant Grove United Methodist. Churches in Hueytown also took a hit, as did some in eastern Jefferson County.

The Jefferson County churches are: Mountain View Baptist Church on Chalkville Road, Grayson Valley Good Samaritan Church on Huffman Road, Independent Church, also on Huffman Road, and Solid Rock Church on Pinson Valley Parkway. Some businesses and homes in the eastern area were also vandalized.

The Rev. Larry Ragland, pastor at Solid Rock Church, said the word painted on his building was " memenevshady." He said he wasn't sure of the meaning.

"But I would say it is a statement by some group that is certainly against the church,'' Ragland said."Very sad."

In Irondale, the vandals struck Church of the Highlands where they got video of the attack, said Detective Michael Mangina. There were also at least two churches in Birmingham struck, including True Love Deliverance Church in Fountain Heights.

Hueytown had at least four churches vandalized. "It didn't take long for us to realize it was more than just some vandalism,'' said Hueytown police Chief Chuck Hagler.

"His actions up until this point have been alarming and annoying and caused minor property damage but he is the type of person who, if ignored, could turn it into a dangerous situation,'' Hagler said. "This level of extremist fanaticism is always one action away from becoming dangerous."