Masked man caught on camera smashing Virgin Mary statue with a hammer outside NYC church

The New York Police Department (NYPD) are investigating the destruction of a Virgin Mary statue outside St. Rita Roman Catholic Church in Long Island City as a possible hate crime after a man climbed over a fence and repeatedly smashed it down using a hammer.

In surveillance video released by The Diocese of Brooklyn, the masked man is seen violently hitting the statue outside the church in what Catholic officials say is the latest in a string of attacks targeting the parish.

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In a press release, church officials said it is the fourth reported vandalism incident targeting the parish since 2024, with the New York City Police Department investigating the latest vandalism as a possible hate crime.

According to the Diocese of Brooklyn, the incident happened at around 1:42 a.m. on Aug. 1.

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The video shows the man, who is wearing a dark T-shirt and shorts, climb over the fence into a courtyard where a statue of the Blessed Mother stood.

The suspect removes a hammer from his pocket and repeatedly strikes the statue before knocking it off its pedestal. He then climbs back over the fence and walks away.

The Diocese said in a statement that the attack was the fourth vandalism incident at St. Rita Roman Catholic Church since 2024.

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Past acts of vandalism in the parish include the destruction of a 60-year-old stained-glass window and graffiti that defaced a statue of St. Francis of Assisi and the sidewalk.

There was also damage done to a statue of St. Jude inside the church.

The Diocese of Brooklyn told Fox News Digital that no arrests have been made.

"This week, the NYPD also issued a crime stats update and hate crimes are up by 9.4% over the same 7-month period (Jan-July) of last year," John Quaglione, Deputy Press Secretary for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn said.