On Tuesday, Queerty reported on the saga of Charles Yarbrough, a Nashville man charged with hate crimes for two separate vandalism incidents against a Milford, Connecticut church supportive of gay rights.

Yarbrough, 30, was first arrested on June 27 after he broke into the Mary Taylor Methodist Church, which displays a rainbow banner saying “To be clear if you are queer LGBTQIA+ you are affirmed here!” and gouged two chairs on the altar and an antique wooden banister. He told police he was angry that the church’s pastor and congregants “were supporting and pushing the LGBT agenda” and was charged with a hate crime, burglary, and criminal mischief.

ADVERTISEMENT

But almost immediately after being released, Yarbrough went right back to the church, broke into the building that houses the church’s classrooms and offices, and used a box cutter to deface the pastor’s office — at which point police arrested him again and he was charged with another hate crime.

“What can I say but pray for this guy,” said Rev. Kristina Hansen. She added, “We are not dissuaded in any way, shape or form. We’re going to love our neighbor and we’re not going to stop because of one person’s response.”