NEW YORK, Aug. 6 (Our New York News) — The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is investigating after a masked man was captured on surveillance video entering the courtyard of St. Rita Roman Catholic Church in Queens and striking a statue of the Virgin Mary with a hammer, police and the Diocese of Brooklyn said.
The Diocese released the video and images of the damaged statue. The footage shows a man in a dark T-shirt and shorts climbing over a fence, approaching the statue and hitting it before leaving. The statue’s head was knocked off its pedestal.
The incident happened shortly before 2 a.m. Aug. 1, according to the Diocese. Accounts place the time at about 1:42 to 1:45 a.m.
No arrest had been reported in the case. The suspect has not been identified, and the available information does not show that anyone has been charged.
Why is it being investigated as a possible hate crime?
Police are investigating the vandalism as a possible or suspected hate crime. A hate crime generally involves a criminal act motivated, at least in part, by hostility toward a person or group because of a protected characteristic, such as religion, race or ethnicity.
That designation is part of the investigation, not a finding about the suspect’s motive. The available information does not establish why the statue was targeted, and it does not show that police have made a formal hate-crime determination or filed charges.
What is known about the church’s history of vandalism?
The Diocese and church officials said the Aug. 1 incident was the fourth reported vandalism at St. Rita’s since 2024. They have not established whether the same person committed the earlier incidents.
One earlier incident occurred March 21, according to the Catholic Herald’s account of information from the Diocese. In that case, the person’s face was not clearly visible. Other reports have described prior damage involving religious statues, but the available information does not provide a complete account of each incident or show that the cases are connected.
What happens next?
The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is reviewing the surveillance footage and investigating the vandalism. The Diocese has asked anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted through NYPD Crime Stoppers channels.
The available information does not include a police case number, arrest record, court filing, damage estimate or statement from a prosecutor. Until an arrest or charges are announced, the person shown in the video remains an unidentified suspect, not a defendant in court.
