Summary: Several people in Ventura, California were assaulted by a man wielding a pair of crucifixes as his weapon.
One California man stole crucifixes and then used them to assault several victims during an early morning rampage. Venture Police Department arrested 35-year-old Forrest Brantley on charges of burglary, robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon.
The police reported that Brantley broke into a Spanish mission gift shop Thursday morning. He then stole a pair of crucifixes and attempted to rob a victim for their cell phone in a parking lot. The police allege, “When the victim refused to give Brantley the phone, Brantley hit that victim with one of the crucifixes.”
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Brantley’s next move was to hit up Ventura’s Main Street “and did the same thing to two more victims, striking them with the crucifix.” Brantley didn’t stop there. He then broke the window on a 75-uear-old man’s car while the man was seated inside. The report stated he “struck the man, causing him injury.”
Police claim Brantley continued on his rampage, breaking into a thrift store and stealing a bicycle to hasten his movement from just plain walking. Brantley “approached another victim…and battered that victim by striking him with the crucifix.”
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By this point, police had caught up to him and booked him into the Ventura County jail on the miscellaneous misdemeanor and felony charges. He was held on $202,500 bail.
The injuries sustained by the innocent bystanders were minor with the 75-year-old man’s being the most serious and requiring treatment at a local hospital.
Do you think Brantley should be charged for crimes against the church? Tell us in the comments below.
To learn more about holy crosses read, Ground Zero Cross Stays in Museum, Court Rules.
Photo: pinterest.com