Vandals cause $30,000 damage to Old Santa Barbara Mission

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Vandals have caused as much as $30,000 in damage to historic Old Mission Santa Barbara, splattering it with red paint and spraying “rape” and a misspelled version of the word “genocide” across its stone facade.

The Los Angeles Times and Santa Barbara television station KEYT report vandals struck sometime before 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, when a passer-by saw the damage and called police.

The words “never forget the lives + land stolen” were also written in red paint on a side building.

The word “genecide” (sic) was sprayed near the front entrance.

Mission officials say the damage could cost $30,000 to repair.

Police hope surveillance video can lead them to suspects.

The mission, founded in 1786, is a popular tourist attraction as well as active parish serving hundreds of families.