{"id":2641553,"date":"2026-08-06T19:28:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T23:28:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nypd-hate-crimes-unit-investigating-after-attack-on-churchs-mary-statue-is-caught-on-camera\/"},"modified":"2026-08-06T19:30:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T23:30:17","slug":"nypd-hate-crimes-unit-investigating-after-attack-on-churchs-mary-statue-is-caught-on-camera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nypd-hate-crimes-unit-investigating-after-attack-on-churchs-mary-statue-is-caught-on-camera\/","title":{"rendered":"NYPD Hate Crimes Unit Investigating After Attack on Church&#8217;s Mary Statue Is Caught on Camera"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnypd-hate-crimes-unit-investigating-after-attack-on-churchs-mary-statue-is-caught-on-camera%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2641553&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A statue of the Virgin mary outside St. Rita\u2019s Roman Catholic Church in Queens, New York, was vandalized and smashed with a hammer during the early hours of Sunday. The suspect, masked and dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, jumped over a fence into the churchyard, broke the statue, causing its head to fall off, and then fled the scene.The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating, as the church has experienced multiple attacks before, including defacement of a statue of St. Francis and damage to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/washington-natl-cathedral-replaces-confederate-themed-glass-windows-with-racial-justice-themed-glass\/\" title=\"Washington National Cathedral replaces Confederate-themed glass windows with racial ju...ice-themed glass.\">stained-glass windows<\/a> and other statues. The incident raises concerns about increasing hostility towards Christian sites, with some suggesting it might potentially be a hate crime. Community leaders advocate for prayer and faith as responses to such acts of vandalism.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>A statue of the Virgin Mary outside a New York City Catholic church was smashed in the latest attack on the church.<\/p>\n<p>The incident took place at 1:40 a.m. Sunday at St. Rita\u2019s Roman Catholic Church in Dutch Kills, Queens, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/05\/us-news\/godless-hammer-wielding-maniac-beheads-virgin-mary-statue-in-nyc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Video showed a man wearing shorts and a T-shirt, with a mask covering much of his face, jumping over a fence to reach the churchyard.<\/p>\n<p>Once there, he took a hammer to the statue until it fell into a wall, causing the head of the statue to fall off.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">A man hopped the fence of a NYC church and SMASHED a statue of the Virgin Mary.<\/p>\n<p>Police are now investigating this as a possible hate crime.<\/p>\n<p>This is the FOURTH time this church has been vandalized.<\/p>\n<p>Welcome to Mamdani\u2019s NYC <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hLhZbZrzoH\">pic.twitter.com\/hLhZbZrzoH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/libsoftiktok\/status\/2085390840654922099?\">August 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The statue fell off the pedestal upon which it had been placed.<\/p>\n<p>The individual then fled.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nyc.gov\/site\/nypd\/services\/law-enforcement\/hate-crimes.page\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force<\/a> is investigating the incident, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/qns.com\/2026\/08\/hate-crimes-vandalism-dutch-kills-church\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">QNS<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Through Aug. 2, the 114th Precinct, in which the incident took place, has <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >recorded 10 hate crimes<\/a>. Only five had been reported at the same point last year.<\/p>\n<p>The church has been attacked before.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">No doubt in my mind the POS in NYC who hopped the fence and smashed the Virgin Mary statue is a Mamdani supporter. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/puy1HUpYvN\">pic.twitter.com\/puy1HUpYvN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dennis Michael Lynch (@TrustDML) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TrustDML\/status\/2085391877176471988?\">August 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In April, a statue of St. Francis of Assisi was defaced.<\/p>\n<p>At that time, the perpetrator wrote \u201cPAGAN\u201d in blue spray paint on the sidewalk.<\/p>\n<p>The Diocese of Brooklyn said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/dioceseofbrooklyn.org\/press-releases\/vandal-damages-blessed-mother-statue-at-st-rita-church\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news release<\/a> that there have been two other attacks since 2024.<\/p>\n<p>In one incident, a 60-year-old stained-glass window was smashed. In another, a statue of St. Jude inside the church was damaged.<\/p>\n<p>In writing on <a href=\"https:\/\/mycharisma.com\/news\/new-york-church-hit-for-fourth-time-as-masked-man-destroys-virgin-mary-statue\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mycharisma.com<\/a>, Abby Trivett wrote,\u00a0 \u201cAre we witnessing a growing boldness in attacks against Christian faith and places of worship?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn moments like this, the church\u2019s greatest response is not panic \u2014 it is prayer,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe enemy may seek to intimidate, desecrate and divide, but history has repeatedly shown that when the church responds in faith instead of fear, the gospel continues to shine even brighter,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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