Kent police search for vandal targeting Kent's Masonic lodge

KENT, Wash. — Kent police are investigating four separate acts of vandalism, all targeting the same Masonic lodge in Kent, all which likely involve the same suspect.

When the camouflage-wearing, window-shattering vandal was first spotted on surveillance video, the members of Kent's Verity Masonic Lodge No. 58 noticed the vandal left blood behind, too. "We thought it was someone trying to break into the building. He broke out the kitchen window and a closet window," said Mason lodge member Kyle Grafstrom.

The Masons and Grafstrom figured the expensive glass repair would be the end of it.

"We spent several hundred dollars fixing it, and then he came back and broke another, larger window about a week later," said Grafstrom.

On surveillance video, the vandal is seen in the early-morning hours pulling a large rock from the pocket of a hooded-camouflage jacket, shattering windows and casually walking away.

Over the course of three weeks, the same vandal came back, urinated in a planter and shattered another, bigger window.

Then, overnight last Tuesday, the same suspect broke windows again for the fourth time.

Grafstrom says the Masons are a fraternal organization focused on character-building and charity work for causes like the Special Olympics, but the lodges can be targets of people who have the misconception that the group is a cult.

"Anyone who has questions about what we do can ask," said Grafstrom. "The idea anything sinister is going on in that building is just ridiculous. Ben Franklin, George Washington and Franklin D. Roosevelt were all Masons, and so was the first mayor of Kent."

The lodge rents out its hall for events like wedding receptions.

"We're trying to donate directly to causes affecting women and children, and this is money that is
now going into broken windows that this kid is busting out. I'd love to talk to this kid and see how we can come to a better understanding of what he's trying to do," Grafstrom said.

The Verity Masonic Lodge is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the vandal.

Cox Media Group