Originally published at National Catholic Register
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is offering a reward of up to $3,500 for help in solving a possible “hate crime” after a man vandalized two religious statues at a Catholic parish in Brooklyn this week.
A video captured by a surveillance camera on Tuesday shows the man approach a century-old statue of the Blessed Mother stepping on the head of a serpent — which represents Satan — in the garden of the St. Therese of Lisieux Church in Brooklyn.
The footage shows the suspect damaging part of the statue with his hands before using a brick to break parts of the statue. The suspect breaks off part of the left thumb with his hands, then picks up a brick from the ground and uses it to beat the bottom of the statue. The video then shows him raise the brick and use it to completely break off the right hand of the statue.
Diocese of Brooklyn spokesman John Quaglione told CNA there is a crack in the base of the statue and that the vandal broke the head of the serpent and part of the serpent’s body at the feet of the Virgin Mary.
A statue of the
