The New York Police Department (NYPD) is investigating the recent destruction of a Virgin Mary statue outside St. Rita Roman Catholic Church in Long Island City. The incident is being considered a possible hate crime after surveillance footage showed a masked man smashing the statue with a hammer.
According to footage released by the Diocese of Brooklyn, the suspect climbed a fence into the church courtyard. He violently struck the statue several times, eventually knocking it off its pedestal, before leaving the premises. The NYPD is now investigating the act, marking the fourth reported vandalism at St. Rita’s since 2024.
Church officials have expressed concern over the ongoing targeting of their parish, highlighting previous incidents. These include damage to a 60-year-old stained-glass window, graffiti defacing a statue of St. Francis of Assisi, and damage to a statue of St. Jude inside the church.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Diocese of Brooklyn noted that no arrests have been made in connection with the latest incident. They also referenced a recent NYPD crime statistics update, which showed a 9.4% increase in hate crimes over the first seven months of this year compared to last year.
John Quaglione, Deputy Press Secretary for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, emphasized the need for vigilance and action in response to these crimes.