Local officials arrested Zuri C. Towns for vandalizing five black churches in a New Jersey community.

Zuri Towns was caught on surveillance video vandalizing one of the churches.

Zuri C. Towns is a black man.



The story made national news and the pastor of one of the churches was interviewed by local news.



NJ.com reported, via JWF:

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Authorities have ruled out bias as the motive in the vandalism of five predominantly black churches after charging a 45-year-old Morristown resident on Sunday.

Zuri C. Towns attended services at one of the churches as a child, Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp said.

“As a result of the investigation, no evidence was obtained that would indicate this was a bias incident which legally requires purpose to intimidate a person or group based upon their protected class,” authorities said in a news release announcing the arrest.

Towns has been charged with four counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief and one count of third-degree criminal mischief.

Members of the five churches — four in Morristown and one in Morris Township — discovered on Saturday that exterior signs had been broken or damaged. At one church, a stained glass window was shattered.

Authorities launched a bias investigation and Gov.-elect Phil Murphy tweeted a condemnation of “cowardly acts.” The pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church said some congregants were so unsettled by what happened that they opted not to attend Sunday services.