Satanic Remarks Cover Vandalized Catholic School

The damage to the buildings was estimated at approximately $600.

Catholic schoolchildren at Sacred Heart Elementary School in Covina were told not to come to school Tuesday, just days before the end of the school year, after someone vandalized their campus.

School employees were met with graffiti-covered walls outside several classrooms. Spray-painted drawings of male genitalia covered at least one wall while others had remarks referencing Satan, God and political leaders on them. 

"It felt like somebody had been in my home," said April Luchonok, the school's principal. 

Classes were canceled for the day, but are expected to resume Wednesday with the last day of school for the year on Thursday.

"The last thing we wanted was for them to come to school and see that someone had been in their space and see those inappropriate things," Luchonok said.

Cleanup began immediately with the graffiti-covered walls painted over. Community members also reached out to school officials and offered support.

Parents said the vandalism was disturbing.

"I was a little scared. It was 6:30 in the morning just telling us the school had been vandalized," said parent Erika Harwood.

The damage to the buildings was estimated at approximately $600, according to the Covina Police Department.

With the school year ending in a few days, students didn't miss lessons on Tuesday, officials said. However, the school's choir was forced to miss a planned trip to the Hollywood Bowl. 

Officials said there were no known suspects but that the vandalism was under investigation.

"There are characteristics associated with vandalism we look at," said Sgt. Gregg Peterson of the Covina Police Department. "There could be style of writing. We take pictures of everything and there's a way to do an analysis on it and compare it to other writings we find within the city."

Peterson said investigators will also take a look at security camera footage from nearby businesses.

Anyone with information is asked to call 626-384-5612.

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