A 23-year-old Arizona man is facing multiple criminal charges after Phoenix police say he broke into a church, caused extensive property damage, disabled security equipment, and allegedly sprayed paint on a police K-9 during an hours-long standoff inside the building. The unusual incident ended with officers taking the suspect into custody after deploying a police dog to search the church. Authorities say the investigation revealed deliberate damage to the property as well as an alleged assault on the police animal.
Church Break-In Prompts Police Response
According to court documents, the incident began when Phoenix police received reports of a burglary in progress at a church in Phoenix. Officers responded to the property after learning that someone had unlawfully entered the building.
Investigators later identified the suspect as Justin Blevins, who police say managed to get inside the church before hiding somewhere within the facility. When officers arrived, they ordered the suspect to come out and surrender. However, authorities said he ignored repeated commands and remained concealed inside the church.
Suspect Allegedly Damaged Church Property
Bathroom Sustained Significant Damage
As officers worked to locate the suspect, investigators discovered that portions of the church had been vandalized.
Court records state that Blevins allegedly caused substantial damage to one of the bathrooms inside the church. Police said wood paneling had been ripped from the walls, leaving visible structural damage within the restroom.
Authorities believe the destruction occurred while the suspect was hiding inside the building.
Security Cameras Were Disabled
Investigators also determined that the church’s interior security system had been tampered with.
According to court documents, Blevins allegedly disabled interior surveillance cameras after entering the building. By interfering with the cameras, police believe the suspect attempted to avoid being recorded while inside the church.
The disabled surveillance equipment became another piece of evidence supporting the criminal investigation.
Police K-9 Deployed to Search the Building
After repeated efforts to convince the suspect to surrender failed, officers decided to use a police K-9 to safely search the church.
Police entered the building with the trained dog to locate the hiding suspect. During the search, officers reported hearing the sound of an aerosol can being discharged.
At approximately the same time, they also noticed the odor of spray paint inside the building.
Paint Allegedly Sprayed on Police Dog
Officers Found Paint Covering the K-9’s Fur
When the police K-9 returned from searching the building, officers discovered fresh paint on the animal’s fur.
According to court documents, investigators believe Blevins intentionally sprayed paint directly at the K-9 while the dog was attempting to locate him inside the church.
Although authorities reported that paint was found on the dog’s coat, publicly released court records did not indicate that the K-9 suffered any lasting physical injuries from the incident.
Arrest Made Inside the Church
Following the encounter involving the K-9, officers were ultimately able to locate and arrest Blevins inside the church.
Police took him into custody without further incident and transported him for booking as detectives continued documenting damage throughout the building.
Investigators later completed their assessment of both the vandalism inside the church and the alleged assault involving the police dog before recommending criminal charges.
Criminal Charges Filed Against Justin Blevins
Following the investigation, prosecutors filed multiple felony charges against Justin Blevins.
According to court records, the charges include:
- Burglary
- Criminal damage
- Aggravated assault involving a police K-9
- Additional offenses related to the incident as outlined in court documents
The exact disposition of the case will be determined through the Arizona court process. At this stage, the allegations remain accusations, and Blevins is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Investigation Continues
Phoenix police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the break-in and the damage caused inside the church.
Detectives have relied on physical evidence from the scene, witness accounts, and court filings to piece together what occurred after the suspect entered the building. Authorities have not publicly released a motive explaining why the church was targeted or why the suspect allegedly sprayed paint on the police K-9.
As the criminal case moves forward, prosecutors are expected to present evidence regarding the alleged burglary, vandalism, disabled security equipment, and assault on the police dog during future court proceedings.
