FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A 24-year-old man was arrested last week after he caused a disturbance inside a Fort Lauderdale church, vandalized a sign outside of it and spat in a security guard’s face, police said.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained Monday by Local 10 News, the incident occurred last Thursday at United Church of Christ, located at 2501 NE 30th St.
Police said they responded to the church after receiving a report that a Black male was vandalizing the church and fighting with the church’s security guards.
According to the affidavit, security guards told officers that the suspect, Jeffrey Felix, was asked to leave the church after causing a disturbance inside.
They claimed that he initially refused to leave, but eventually walked out and threw rocks and bottles at a shower bus in front of the church.
Security guards said Felix then approached a stone sign with the church’s name and began carving “f*** you” on the sign.
According to the affidavit, security guards told officers that they tried to detain Felix but he resisted, so they tried stunning him with a Taser, which failed. They then pepper sprayed Felix and were able to detain him, authorities said.
Police said Felix spat in one of the security guard’s faces during the incident, but the security guard declined to press charges.
The property manager for the church, however, said they did want to prosecute for the damage done to the sign, which they estimated would cost about $2,500 to fix.
According to the affidavit, Felix was taken to Broward Health Imperial Point to be medically cleared, where he told a detective that he “spazzed out” after multiple people cut him in line at the church and staff failed to say anything to them.
Police said he admitted to throwing a bottle at the shower bus, carving the expletive into the sign and spitting in the security guard’s face.
He was arrested on a charge of criminal mischief at a church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious establishment.
As of Monday afternoon, he remained at the Broward County Main Jail on a $2,500 bond.
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