Subud Center Hit By Vandalism

A church in the Edgecliff neighborhood has been hit by arson five times in less than two years.

Last week, the Subud Center at 402 S. Coleman Road was hit again, this time with rocks.

Rico Reed found four broken windows, two on the north side of the building and two on the south side, when he arrived at the Subud Center on the morning of Dec. 30.

“It’s incredible that anybody could be that weird to risk their own freedom to do something so senseless over and over,” Reed said.

Reed chairs the Spokane Subud Center, a spiritual group that bought the building last summer from South Hill Baptist Church.

The Baptist church was hit by two arsons in 1998. Since July, the Subud Center has had three arsons and the latest rock-throwing incident. Reed said the group would like to share the building with other community organizations.

“It’s kind of hard to rent it out when it’s constantly being vandalized,” Reed said.

Neighbors say the ongoing vandalism of the church, located across the street from Broadway Elementary School, makes them wonder if they’ll be the next target.

“At first you think it’s a grudge thing, then you think it’s a lark,” said a neighbor. “That’s scary when you think they’re doing something like that for no reason.”

The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Sheriff’s Department and Valley fire all sent investigators to the scene after the Dec. 30 vandalism.

They seized rocks as evidence and took pictures of tire tracks found in the snow at the scene.

The investigation of the latest incident is ongoing and no arrests have been made, said Brad Farnsworth, resident agent in charge for the ATF.

Authorities thought they had solved the vandalism problem when they arrested Robin Lamont, a suspect in the July 1 arson which caused $10,000 damage.

Lamont’s trial is scheduled to start next week. He’s not being charged with two previous 1998 arsons.

Authorities do not believe religion is a reason for the arsons and vandalism at the building.

The South Hill Baptist Church sold the building to the Subuds last summer and moved to a larger space in Millwood.

The church was the target of two 1998 arsons including one in September 1998 that caused $70,000 in damage.

William Anker, the pastor of the South Hill Baptist Church, now called the Independent Baptist Church, said he has no idea why the building is targeted.

He still worries about arson even though his church has not had any problems since moving to Millwood.

The Baptist church left because it was growing and needed more room, not because of problems with the building, Anker said.

“It still worries me even though I’m not there,” Anker said. “I don’t want a situation like that to hit our church again.”