Graffiti on abortion was found outside a Catholic church in Reston, Virginia, early Sunday, authorities said.
Messages “related to the recent Supreme Court Roe v Wade ruling” were seen at St. John Neumann Catholic Community, Fairfax County police said later in the day.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue responded to the church on Lawyers Road at about 6:45 a.m. after smoldering mulch was reported. Personnel detected that “an accelerant was likely used” and saw graffiti spray-painted on a sign at the church’s entrance.
Police arrived and then found three other locations at the back of the building that also had been damaged by graffiti, police said.
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Officers are reviewing surveillance footage from the church.
“We continue to have increased patrols at places of worship, connect with community faith leaders, and are working with our regional law enforcement partners to determine who is responsible,” police said in a statement.
A spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington condemned the vandalism.
“We should be able to be unified as citizens, as people, as humans and accept that we’re going to disagree but not let it get to this place,” Billy Atwell told News4 on Monday.
The chairman of the county board of supervisors, Jeff McKay, also called for peace.
Church volunteers were set to help finish cleaning up the property on Monday.
Anyone with information on the crime is asked to contact police.
