Vandals Glue Church Locks In Philly

PHILADELPHIA -- You could call it a stick-up of a different kind.

Vandals put glue in the locks of several churches in Philadelphia's Tacony and Mayfair sections, making it difficult for parishioners to get inside for Sunday services. At least eight churches of various denominations were targeted on and near Tyson Avenue.

Pastor Dominic Puglia's church, The First Christian Pentecostal Church is located on Tyson Avenue and Van Dyke in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia.

Pastor Dominic said "They glued both locks on our church." He managed to break one of them free of the glue and they had to break the other lock to get it open.

He said " I spent most of the day today replacing the broken lock." "I don't think it was kids because they did it over a really great distance." "Another church in our neighborhood had eight locks glued shut."

Pastor Dominic is a frequent visitor at the Coudersport Gospel Tabernacle and his son, Jonathon is a student at the Gospel Tabernacle Bible School.
In some cases, the vandals broke off keys inside locks. Worshippers at one church used a drill to get their doors open. At another church, a member brought a blowtorch from home.

Pastor Arthur Johnson says his Tacony Baptist Church was among those affected. He calls it "really comical." He says the "devil is trying to tell us we are doing something right for the Lord."

Lt. Frank Vanore says police are investigating. No arrests have been made.