Waterford deputies catch suspected church vandal

After a week of reports of motorists spinning doughnuts in a Waterford church parking lot and joy riding on its baseball field, Stanislaus County Sheriff's Deputies arrested one of the suspects.

Sgt. Juan Alanis said the department received about eight reports regarding the vandalism at the Community Baptist Church on D Street last week.

By the time deputies could respond, the suspect or suspects were gone. However, they left tire marks all over the parking lot.

On Sunday night, a witness saw a white Subaru coming from the church's baseball field. There were tires marks all over the grass and in the diamond.

The witness followed the Subaru and called police.

Deputies caught up with the Subaru and pulled over the driver, 20-year-old Albert Hernandez, just outside of town at Hickman and Lake roads, Alanis said.

"Hernandez ... at first denied damaging the church grass and baseball diamond with his car," reads a post on the Waterford Police Services Facebook page. "Unfortunately for him, the fresh dirt and grass covering his car rims told a different story."

Hernandez was arrested on suspicion of vandalism.

Alanis said the damage was estimated at around $1,000.

This story was originally published December 21, 2017 at 4:31 PM with the headline "Waterford deputies catch suspected church vandal."