LONG BEACH, CA — A Long Beach Catholic school community is in shock after vandals broke into Holy Innocents Catholic School overnight Sunday, causing extensive damage to the campus and its chapel and destroying religious artifacts, some valued in the tens of thousands of dollars.
School staff discovered the damage early Monday morning and contacted Long Beach police around 7 a.m. Officers and forensic detectives responded about 4 hours later according to Long Beach Post to investigate the incident, which left classrooms and the chapel in complete disarray.
“Praying for protection of our school and we just want them to feel safe, but it’s like, this is what happens?” said Principal Cyril Cruz of Holy Innocents School.
According to school officials, vandals smashed statues, overturned desks and cabinets, destroyed furniture, and attempted to pry open the tabernacle in the chapel. Among the damaged items was a statue of the Virgin Mary that had been part of the school since 1958 and was valued at approximately $40,000. Another statue in the atrium was estimated to be worth about $10,000. Many other religious items were handmade by religious sisters and are considered irreplaceable.
“They’re simply priceless,” said Tony Tripp, the school’s director of advancement, adding that the overall cost of the damage is “definitely a high amount.”
Investigators also found destroyed internet devices, musical equipment, learning materials, and scattered Bibles throughout the building. A framed picture of Pope Leo XIV was shattered.
Principal Cruz said police located blood inside the chapel, which detectives hope will provide DNA evidence to help identify at least one suspect. It remains unclear what, if anything, was stolen due to the extensive damage.
No arrests have been announced, and the investigation is ongoing. Volunteers, parents, and staff spent Monday cleaning up the campus. School officials said they hope to restore the site enough to resume normal operations by Wednesday.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover repair costs, and donations can also be made directly to the school.
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