A man is charged with vandalizing a church near Clay, and is likely to be charged with similar acts at many more metro-area churches, including one on Pinson Valley Parkway.

Eja Cree, 31, has been charged by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office with first-degree criminal mischief for an incident at Mountain View Baptist Church. He is the main suspect in a vandalism spree in which a single mysterious word, or variations of that word, were spray-painted on churches all across the Birmingham area.

The incidents took place overnight Thursday and into early Friday morning. Most churches were hit in Pleasant Grove and Hueytown, but a handful were in northeast Jefferson County, as well as some in Birmingham. Locally, Solid Rock Church in Pinson was hit.

In all cases, the word “memeneusha” was painted on sidewalks, doors and walls. Investigators have no idea what it means. According to a sheriff’s spokesman, Cree said the word means “Jesus is coming,” and that he was told by the Holy Spirit to “get the word out.”

The main campus of Church of the Highlands in Irondale was also struck; the incident there was caught on surveillance video. (Church of the Highlands has a branch which formerly met at Fultondale Elementary School, and now meets at Tarrant High School.)

There have been no reports yet of churches in Gardendale, Fultondale or elsewhere in the I-65 North corridor being hit.

Cree is held in the Jefferson County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bond.

Another suspect was taken into custody alone with Cree, but was released after questioning.

[Updated at 12 noon Saturday with additional details.]