A masked man in New York was caught on surveillance video jumping a fence at a Catholic church in Queens before repeatedly striking a Virgin Mary statue with a hammer and leaving it shattered on the ground. Police are now investigating the vandalism at St. Rita Roman Catholic Church as a possible hate crime.
The footage appears to show the man pull out a hammer before repeatedly striking the statue. The statue falls to the ground and breaks apart before the man climbs back over the fence and leaves. Church officials also revealed that this is the fourth reported act of vandalism targeting the parish since 2024.
According to Fox News, the New York Police Department (NYPD) is investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. The Diocese of Brooklyn further told Fox News that, as of now, no arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
Masked Man’s Attack on Virgin Mary Statue Outrages Viewers
The video sparked reactions online. Many viewers expressed outrage after seeing the video of the Virgin Mary statue being destroyed. Some commenters attempted to connect the vandalism to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, although authorities have not identified a motive or announced any connection between the mayor or his policies and the incident. “Mamdani’s NYC. Hate is welcome here,” one person wrote.
Other viewers focused on possible legal consequences rather than retaliation. “This absolutely should be tried as a hate crime!!” one commenter wrote. Police are already investigating the vandalism as a possible hate crime, although authorities have not publicly identified a motive or announced an arrest.
The motive behind the vandalism remains unknown as police continue investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. For St. Rita Roman Catholic Church, however, the shattered Virgin Mary statue represents another troubling incident at a parish that officials say has now been targeted four times since 2024. No arrest has been announced.
