Man charged with hate crime in repeated vandalism at Orland Park church

A man is facing felony hate crime charges after repeatedly vandalizing a church in southwest suburban Orland Park, police said.

Luke Corrigan, 23, of Orland Park, was charged with felony counts of hate crime to a church and arson to a place of worship, according to Orland Park police.

About 2:20 a.m. Friday, officers noticed multiple broken windows and spray-painted doors at Living Word Lutheran Church at 16301 Wolf Road, police said. The church had previously been vandalized four times since late January.

After reviewing recently installed surveillance footage from the church, an officer recognized Corrigan “from a prior police incident,” police said. He was then taken into custody at his home, where police recovered evidence from his latest suspected act of vandalism.

Over the course of the five incidents, Corrigan spray-painted “anti-religious” words on doors and walls, cut screens, broke windows and tried to start a fire, police said.

Living Word Lutheran Pastor Steven Lange said Monday night that while the incidents were “malicious,” he never had any true safety concerns. He explained he didn’t want to “advertise or give any credence” to the attacks by overreacting.

“I don’t feel like it’s somebody who was interested in hurting so much as showing his disgust with religion,” Lange said.

The pastor said nobody at the church had any connection or relationship with the suspected vandal, and he doesn’t believe the church was targeted for any reason other than proximity and convenience.

Corrigan is being held without bail at Cook County Jail, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office. His next court date is set for Tuesday.