'It broke my heart': Chandler church vandalized with a swastika

CHANDLER, Ariz. - A Chandler church is cleaning up after being vandalized with a hate symbol early Saturday morning -- it was marked with a red, painted swastika at the entrance of the building near Ray Road and Hartford Street.

Congregational leader, Kane Adkins, at Chandler First Assembly of God, says he was driving up to the church Saturday morning for Sabbath service when he saw a symbol of hate drawn on a house of love.

"It broke my heart," he said. "My daughter looked up and said, 'Daddy, that's the sign of the swastika, that's the sign of the nazis,' and I said, 'Yes it is.'"  

Reverend Tom Rakoczy says this gives him an opportunity to talk to the person responsible. "I find it intriguing that they paint it on a wall of a church that represents love and acceptance, so to these people, I am not offended, I would love to be able to talk to them and for them to share with me how they feel how they have such disdain for churches," he said.

For Adkins, he says it's just heartbreaking and sad. "We're better than this. Let's come together and find a way to talk through this - lets reason together. But I forgive them, but we're not intimidated by them." 

He says that their church is open to everyone in the community and they welcome Jewish people to use the church.

The church reported this to the Chandler Police Department.