A white homeless man served meals by a historic Black church in North Carolina is accused of defacing a monument in front of the building with “KKK You NEXT”
Andrew Caldwell, 33, has been charged with ethnic intimidation in the incident in front of Evans Metropolitan AME Zion Church, according to WRAL.
The church is located at 301 N. Cool Spring St. in Fayetteville.
Rev. Selvyn Lindo, a pastor at the church, told the news station the damage adds insult to injury.
The church has been closed for service since Hurricane Florence caused extensive damage in the Carolinas last year, Lindo said.
The pastor said Caldwell earlier tried to fight a man walking in the area for exercise.
“He was harassed,” Lindo said.
Caldwell was released on a $500 unsecured bond, and he was in the area of the church while Lindo was being interviewed, according to WRAL.
Although Caldwell wasn’t interviewed on camera, he denied defacing the monument, the news station reported.
It’s not clear why Caldwell allegedly targeted the church, which was built in 1893.
He is expected in court Nov. 13, WRAL reported.
