Video: Woman destroys statues outside New York church, police say

Lauren Cook/WPIX

Updated: Jul 18, 2021 / 02:03 PM CDT

FOREST HILLS, Queens (WPIX) — A woman destroyed a statue outside of a New York church on Saturday, with surveillance footage capturing the incident on camera.

Police released the tape on Sunday and asked anyone who may have information in the case to call the New York Police Department Crime Stoppers tip line.

The woman approached Our Lady of Mercy Church in Forest Hills around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, hopped a rope fence and toppled a statue off its pedestal, the video showed. The video also shows the woman repeatedly slam the statue to the ground and stomp on it before throwing the pieces into the roadway.

On 7/17/21, at approx. 3:30 AM, an individual approached Our Lady of Mercy church, at 70-01 Kessel St, removed two statues and repeatedly slammed them to the ground causing them to break. ☎️ 1-800-577-TIPS@NYPDShea
@NYPDDetectives @NYPDchaplains @NYPD112Pct @QueensDAKatz pic.twitter.com/AQIHCgRFhK
— NYPD Hate Crimes (@NYPDHateCrimes) July 18, 2021

Police said she destroyed two statues at the church before fleeing in an unknown direction.

The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force launched an investigation into the incident.

Authorities described the suspect as a woman in her 20s with an average build. She was wearing all black clothing, they said.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).