by ABC-7 Reporter Abe Lubetkin

EL PASO, Texas -- While Mount Cristo Rey is no stranger to crime, a recent attack of vandalism is worse than most.

In the most recent damage, the Virgin Mary's face has been scraped off the tile, and the face of an angel has been chiseled off ceramic. Officials think vandals chipped away at tile paintings sometime last week.

Officials say safety concerns have long plagued Mount Cristo Rey. Bandits from Mexico are notorious for robbing, and in some cases assaulting, people who climb the mountain by themselves or in small groups.

Ruben Escandon, Jr., the vice president of the Mount Cristo Rey Restoration Committee, says the monuments become targets for vandalism almost every week. Usually it's the kind of destruction cleaning crews can scrape off, either permanent marker on the Virgin Mary's face or some type of graffiti.

Escandon says the culprits are often from across the border. "What's surprising now is the Virgin Guadalupe, being the patron saint of Mexico, had never really been touched and for some reason, maybe they've lost their faith, and now they went to that extreme. It's probably someone that's very angry," Escandon said.

The restoration committee plans to build a concrete barrier around the new monuments. The rebuilding will cost about $20,000. To raise the money, they are going to sell tiles on the base of the monument.

To purchase tiles or donate to the fundraising effort, contact Ruben Escandon at (915) 252-9840 or Charlie Escandon at (915) 731-0784. You can also mail donations to

Cristo Rey Tile Project

P.O. Box 1003

Sunland Park, N.M. 88063.