Northeast Philly man arrested for a string of vandalism that includes Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church

A Northeast Philadelphia man has been arrested in connection with a spate of vandalism across the city this week, including at the historic Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church and The National Shrine of St. John Neumann, along with several businesses.

Haneef Cooper, 39, faces charges of criminal mischief in four incidents of vandalism — spanning from Sunday through Tuesday — including those at the churches, Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said at a news conference Friday.

Police are investigating six other vandalism incidents in the city that may be connected to Cooper, said Vanore.

Cooper was in the area of the Frankford Transportation Center when he was taken into custody at 8:38 p.m. Thursday by SEPTA police.

Police gave no motive for Cooper’s alleged vandalism spree, but said there was no indication it was politically or religiously motivated.

In the early mornings hours on Monday, Cooper hurled rocks and bricks at several establishments across the city, in Northern Liberties, Center City, Old City, and Society Hill, destroying stained glass windows and glass doors, police said. He appeared to get around the city using SEPTA subway service, said Vanore.

Before dawn Monday, the Mother Bethel church, which has a history of activism since its founding in 1787, was vandalized, with several windows shattered, including three of the church’s historic stained-glass windows. While police estimated the damage to the church at $15,000, the church’s senior pastor estimated that repairs would cost $30,000 due to the specialized craftsmanship required to repair the stained glass and the need to upgrade the church’s security system

There were no messages associated with or attached to the rocks, the pastor said.

At the National Shrine of St. John Neumann, which is housed in St. Peter The Apostle Church, three stained glass windows were discovered shattered around 5:30 a.m. Monday, according to an employee who declined to be identified. The damage was discovered by a priest who was opening the church and preparing for the morning Mass. Unlike Mother Bethel, the church had security footage of the incident, but the footage was “not the greatest,” the employee said. Church officials estimated the damage at $20,000.

Only the windows were damaged at the church, the employee said. Neumann’s body is in a glass coffin in the shrine, which is in the lower level of the church, and was not damaged.

As with Mother Bethel, there was no message associated with the rocks, so the shrine staff does not regard the vandalism as a hate crime, the employee said.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said the damage was discovered Monday and promptly reported to police. Kenneth Gavin said security cameras at the shrine showed one of the rocks going through the window at 5:33 a.m. Monday and landing in the choir section of the building. Police detectives are reviewing security camera footage as part of an ongoing investigation.

At 6:30 a.m. Monday, Cooper destroyed windows at a Playa Bowls on the 200 block of South 11th Street, in Center City, causing around $1,500 in damage, said Vanore. He also broke windows at the Science History Institute, on the 300 block of Chestnut Street, in Old City, with the cost of the damage estimated at $1,000, Vanore said. Police received the report of the vandalism at the institute Tuesday morning, he said. He faces charges in these two incidents.

The six other incidents still being investigated by police include vandalism at the Beasley building, home of the Beasley law firm, at the 1100 block of Walnut Street, which suffered a broken window. Also, the double pane glass of the front door of the InterAct Theater, on the 300 block of South Hicks Street, was shattered when staff arrived for work Monday, staff said.

Police are also investigating whether Cooper upturned planters before throwing them into the street at The Touraine, a luxury apartment building on the 1500 block of Spruce Street in Center City, Monday morning.

Cooper has previously been charged with incidents of vandalism as far back as 2011, police said.

In 2011, Cooper was arrested and charged with criminal mischief and related crimes for throwing paint at the double doors at the southwest corner of City Hall, said Vanore. He also broke parking kiosks at a parking lot managed by the Philadelphia Parking Authority in 2013, Vanore said.

And in 2016, Vanore said, Cooper assaulted a police detective.

Officials at both churches that experienced vandalism said the congregations were already stepping up to help pay for repairs.

The Rev. Michael Cunningham, of St. Peter The Apostle Church, where the shrine is located, on Friday lamented the degree of damage at the church. “This is pretty rare. We have had petty minor vandalism before but for the most part this was a different caliber.” Parishioners have already begun to organize a grassroots donation campaign to pay for the windows, he said.

Mother Bethel has been seen similar community support, officials said.

At St. Peter The Apostle, Cunningham said the fundraising effort was a sign of optimism that crime will not have the final word.

“It is an invitation by God to join forces in a profound way to right certain wrongs,” he said. ”The overriding response is to rise above the event itself.”