GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (WOOD) — Police in Grand Haven arrested a man who they say vandalized and planted fireworks in a Catholic church and attacked a worker Sunday morning.
Authorities confirmed the suspect is 32-year-old Anthony Lee Wabindato of the White Cloud area. He was booked into the Ottawa County Jail, though it's not yet clear precisely what charges he faces for the incident at St. Patrick-St. Anthony Parish.
"I don't know his motive. There's nothing to suggest that there's any connection between him and that church," Public Safety Chief Jeff Hawke said.
The Grand Haven Department of Public Safety says said the church at Fulton Street and Beacon Boulevard was open when Wabindato entered shortly after 7 a.m.
Investigators say he broke a chair and then used part of it to assault a parishioner who was setting up for Mass.
"He came at him with the dowel. The church employee had to fight him, fend him off," Hawke said.
The employee is OK.
A parishioner called 911. When police arrived, the suspect threatened them with the dowel. Officers used a Taser on him and he was arrested, police on scene told 24 Hour News 8.
Officers swept of the church and discovered the suspect had vandalized the building and broken a television.
"The suspect also placed M5000 'Jumbo' firecrackers in multiple locations inside and outside the building," Hawke wrote on the department's Facebook page.
View the full story on Wood TV