SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A North Park family is heartbroken and frustrated after their decades-old religious display has been targeted for the second time in just one month.
Leticia Salcedo, who first spoke with ABC 10News in mid-December after a vandal set fire to the display, now faces more vandalism that has tarnished what has long been a community symbol.
“It’s a loss for the community,” Salcedo said when reflecting on the defacement of her beloved display, which is prominently featured outside her home on 30th Street. The display, cherished by many in the area for daily prayers, is now marred by black spray paint.
In mid-December, Salcedo discovered the damage inflicted by a masked arsonist who torched the display her family built two decades ago.
“Burn, burn everywhere,” she told us in the interview, surveying the destruction. Remarkably, four statues of the Virgin Mary, including two images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, were left untouched by the flames.
“It was a Virgin miracle,” said Salcedo.
Though Salcedo filed a police report following the first incident, no arrests were made. The situation worsened on Monday morning when surveillance video captured a masked individual, appearing similar to the previous vandal, tagging the display before fleeing the scene. This time, the vandalism damage included two angels and two of the Virgin of Guadalupe statues.
“I don’t know why these people hate,” Salcedo expressed through her anguish. The community has rallied around her, with neighbors voicing their support after the latest act of vandalism.
Looking ahead, Salcedo is contemplating cleaning and repainting the damaged statues, but she is uncertain if it’s feasible. She’s also thinking about replacing all the statues, but each one costs several hundreds dollars.
As she grapples with the emotional toll of repeated attacks on her family’s display, Salcedo fears further vandalism.
“Why? Why does someone hate Mary?” she lamented.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about these incidents to contact Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 or the San Diego Police Department at 619-531-2000.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.”
