NEW YORK – Parishioners at a church in Queens found two vandalized religious statues Saturday after an alleged vandal damaged them overnight.
Police noted that a witness saw a woman dragging a piece of the statue outside the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Mercy around 3:30 am on Saturday. The NYC Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating.
The Diocese of Brooklyn said the two statues had been on display outside the Queens church since its inauguration in 1937. One statue was of the Blessed Mother and the other of Saint Teresa the Little Flower.
According to the diocese, the suspect dragged each statue approximately 180 feet from the church and smashed them with a hammer. The destruction comes three days after each statue was toppled but not damaged.
The suspect, currently wanted by police, is believed to be the person behind each incident, the diocese said.
“I pray that this recent wave of attacks on Catholic churches and all houses of worship will end, and religious tolerance will become a part of our society,” said Father Frank Schwarz, pastor of Our Lady Roman Catholic Church. of Mercy, in a statement.
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