crucifix toppled church
© Santa Cruz County JailJackeline Chavira, 23, is accused of committing a crime spree in Watsonville on Wednesday.
Santa Cruz County Jail
A woman faces felony vandalism charges after police said she was caught on video Wednesday tearing down a crucifix at a Northern California church.

But the church was just one stop on the crime spree Jackeline Chavira, 23, is accused of committing in Watsonville on Wednesday: Police said in a news release Thursday that Chavira first stole roses from a store on Main Street, went to nearby shop to steal (and purposely break) a religious statue, and then took a soda from a bakery before heading to St. Patrick's Church.

That's where surveillance footage caught a woman walking into the sanctuary at 12:15 p.m., and heading straight for the altar, where she appraised the 15-foot tall crucifix before ultimately toppling it, video shows.


After the crucifix fell, footage shows the woman running back down the aisle of the church and leaving the sanctuary. She appears to still be holding the stolen roses.

From the sanctuary, Chavira headed to the church's prayer room, where she threw a religious statue on the ground and tore down two large religious artworks as two church-goers prayed in the room, according to police.

Chavira left the church and went to a shop selling religious goods, where she tried stealing yet another statue, police said.

But that attempt led to an argument with a worker, and Chavira soon threw down the statue and broke it, police said. Chavira was arrested about two hours after that crime, which police listed as the last one in a timeline of the crime spree. The spree began at 11:40 a.m., police said.
  • 11:40 AM: Chavira enters a store on the 1400 block of Main Street and steals roses
  • 12:00 PM: Chavira enters a store on the 1200 block on Main Street where she steals a religious statue and then purposefully drops it, causing it to break
  • 12:03 PM: Chavira enters a bakery on the 1200 block of Main Street and steals a soda
  • 12:15 PM: Chavira enters a church on the 700 block of Main Street and causes thousands of dollars in damages
  • 12:22 PM: Chavira enters a store on the 400 block of Main Street, attempts to steal a religious statue and then throws it on the ground, causing it to break
  • 2:11 PM: Officers arrest Chavira on West Beach Street
Chavira is being held on $25,000 bail at a Santa Cruz County jail on charges of defacing property, vandalizing a place of worship, disobeying a court order and burglary, according to online jail records.

The Watsonville Police Department shared video of the crucifix toppling on Facebook, where it was viewed 18,000 times within just hours. It has been shared more than 500 times as of Thursday evening.

"So sad that a sacred place where you go to worship and have quiet prayer will now more than likely be closed during the day," one commenter wrote. "Rotten choices other people have made, ruins it for us all."

Police said there was $15,000 in damage at the church alone, adding that the damage there was "the most extensive."