“It was also observed [that] ‘666’ was written on several items inside of the church including a rosary candle, mirror, and on the tabernacle in the prayer room,” the news release continued.
Soto-Olivarez was observed in security footage committing the desecration, the police said. The damages totaled upwards of $4,100.
On Thursday police located Soto-Olivarez; he “attempted to [evade] officers however was quickly apprehended.” Police subsequently executed a search warrant at his home to retrieve items reportedly stolen from the church.
In a statement on Facebook, the Diocese of El Paso said it was “grateful to the El Paso Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation for their diligent work in investigating this incident.”
“We are thankful that the physical damage to the church was minimal and has been fully cleaned up since the incident almost two weeks ago,” the diocese said, adding that it was requesting prayers “for those who work in law enforcement, for the alleged perpetrator, and for the entire Most Holy Trinity community.”
The El Paso incident comes amid a wave of church vandalizations and desecrations both around the United States and worldwide, including in New York City, Spain, Nicaragua, and Canada, among other countries.