OAKLAND PARK, FLA. (WSVN) - A man who was regularly fed at an Oakland Park church retaliated by destroying a statue when asked to leave due to questionable behavior, authorities said.
All Saints Catholic Mission is a place of worship, as well as a place that feeds the hungry in the community.
The father who runs the organization, located along Powerline Road, said 55-year-old Richard Krall came to the church for meals on a daily basis and was usually polite.
According to the church’s pastor, the Rev. Bob Caudill, Krall became agitated on Monday and broke the statue of the Virgin Mary. He also spray-painted the side of the building.
“If you don’t put it out there and take faith for a spin, you can’t say you have faith,” said Caudill. “We’ve been feeding people for 28 years from 100 to 200 people a day.”
Krall was one of the regulars. In his mug shot, his eyes were closed, his tongue hung out and a pair of hands behind him appear to be holding up his head.
It is possible that he was under the influence of drugs when he lost control. That has not been confirmed as yet.
Caudill said Krall has a troubled past with a long history of arrests, from unlawful soliciting to criminal mischief to assault.
“His life was already bad living on the street,” said Caudill.
On Monday, Caudill said, Krall went to the church in a belligerent state and was uncooperative. That’s when Broward Sheriff Office deputies were called in and staffers asked Krall to leave.
Caudill said Krall later returned to vandalize the property.
“Pushed over the Virgin Mary and broke her head off and wrote on the side of the building, ‘I am going to burn this place,'” said Caudill. “I have people that were staying, working, cleaning the soup kitchen, and I have people that stay here at night. They were very afraid and barricaded themselves inside the building.”
Deputies have since arrested Krall. The wall was painted over, but the statue remains on the ground.
Caudill said the donated statue will be repaired.
“We were making jokes last night that we’re gonna put a sign that says, ‘Nothing will keep me down,'” Caudill laughed while standing next to the statue.
Krall, on the other hand, is facing another criminal charge.
“The court has concerns, so the court will do a GPS,” said Broward Circuit Judge Kim Theresa Mollica.
Meanwhile, the church continued with their daily meals for the homeless Tuesday afternoon.
“What we’re here about is repairing people’s lives, so I feel sorry for him,” said Caudill. “He’s the one who’s in pain. If something happens, one in 100 people will do something wrong and they can apologize and come right back. Everything’s forgotten. And if he’d come back the next day and said he was sorry for what he did, I would have allowed him.”
The judge, however, has ordered Krall to stay away from the church.
He remains at the Broward County Jail.
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