This man is suspected of vandalizing a cross outside a Columbia church, police say

A Swansea man is suspected in the vandalism of a cross outside a Columbia church.

Ernest Rodney Thompson, 47, is charged with malicious injury to personal property, according to jail and court records. He remains in the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

The vandalism happened Wednesday night at Main Street United Methodist Church, which sits on the 1800 block of Main Street about two blocks from Elmwood Avenue.

A wooden cross outside the church was damaged, and the purple drape that was hanging on the cross was missing, according to a Columbia Police Department incident report.

The report does not indicate how Thompson was identified as the suspect.

The cross is valued at $50 and the drape at $20, according to the report. Because the total amount of damage is less than $1,000, Thompson faces a misdemeanor charge, which carries a fine of up to $1,000 or 30 days in prison, or both.

This story was originally published April 2, 2018 at 2:51 PM with the headline "This man is suspected of vandalizing a cross outside a Columbia church, police say."