A 30-year-old man from Painesville is facing several charges for allegedly breaking into a church in Willoughby and trying to set it on fire.
It happened on Aug. 12 around 2 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Church, 37932 Euclid Ave.
Willoughby Police said officers responded to the church after they received notice of a motion alarm going off inside the building.
When they arrived, officers located the suspect, Eric Randall Beck, who appeared to be "highly intoxicated," standing inside with a broken shovel handle and bleeding from the hand. Officers arrested the man when he tried to run out of the church.
Officers discovered that Beck was allegedly able to get inside the building through the chapel, which remains open 24/7, and then forced his way into the church itself. Inside, police found a trail of blood that went to several areas inside the church.
Police said Beck allegedly damaged the altar and candle stands and tried to set the carpet on fire using hand sanitizer. He also is accused of damaging a large statue of the Virgin Mary outside the church by knocking it over.
Beck was arraigned Monday morning on a felony charge of breaking and entering as well as arson and vandalism charges, police said. Additional charges may be brought down, police said.
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