SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Saline County man who admitted to vandalizing a church in Wichita was to learn his fate on Friday.
Sentencing was delayed for 23-year-old Michael Gonzalez, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office. The case was continued until October 10.
In July Gonzalez pleaded guilty to felony charges: of burglary and criminal desecration and two misdemeanor charges of theft and criminal damage to property.
Just after 8:30a.m. March 15, police responded to a reported burglary at St. Patrick Catholic Church, located in the 2000 block of N. Arkansas Street in Wichita, according to Wichita Police spokesman Brad Wright.
Officers discovered significant vandalism, including hate speech and damage to items such as statues, candles, and glass. Notably, a United States flag had been burned.
Recognizing the severity of this crime, Wichita Police and investigators—alongside federal law enforcement partners including the FBI and ATF—immediately launched a full-scale investigation. The Wichita Police dedicated Crime Scene Investigation team worked diligently to analyze evidence, leading to the swift identification of a suspect.
Officers from the Wichita Police Field Community Response Teams were provided with critical intelligence and began searching for the suspect. At approximately 2:20 a.m. March 16, officers located and arrested Gonzalez in the 2800 block of N. Hillside in Wichita without incident.
Gonzalez remains jailed on bonds totaling over $500,000, according to online jail records.