Vandals cause $80K in damage to NW Indiana religious shrine

ST. JOHN, Ind. (AP) - Police are seeking the public's help in finding vandals who caused $80,000 in damage to a religious shrine in northwestern Indiana.

St. John police say 20 granite light and speaker posts at the Shrine of Christ's Passion were pulled apart and their lighting fixtures were smashed in late December. The damage totaled about $80,000.

Police Cmdr. Steve Flores says the vandalism occurred between Dec. 24 and Dec. 26, when it was discovered.

Security cameras captured images of the vandals, but police said the image quality was relatively poor.

The department posted those images last week on its Facebook page, asking anyone who has information to contact the department.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports that the popular shrine opened in 2008 and features scenes depicting the final days of Jesus' life.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com