You are reading

Suspect smashes religious statue, spits into Holy Water at Astoria church: NYPD

The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is looking for this suspect who allegedly destroyed a religious statue after threatening a priest inside Immaculate Conception Church in Astoria on Sunday. Google Maps/NYPD

April 9, 2025 By Bill Parry

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating an act of vandalism inside the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Astoria on Sunday.

Police from the 114th Precinct in Astoria responded to the church at 21-47 29th St. along Ditmars Boulevard just after 1 p.m. on April 6.

Father Hughes was greeting parishioners at the rear of the church at the end of a Spanish Mass when a young man told him to “die.” The suspect then approached a woman who had brought a statue of Baby Jesus to the church to have it blessed and slapped the religious statue out of her hand near the altar rail, causing it to break into several pieces. The suspect stormed out of the church onto Ditmars Boulevard where he jumped onto a Citi Bike and rode off toward Astoria Park.

The same man was seen inside the church on Tuesday, April 1, spitting into the Holy Water font.

There have been no arrests, and the investigation by the Hate Crimes Task Force remains ongoing.

“The acts of religious intolerance at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church have left the parish community unsettled,” Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn Deputy Press Secretary John Quaglione said.

“We are grateful for the immediate response of the NYPD’s 114th Precinct and the investigative work of the Hate Crimes Task Force. We are thankful no one was injured, and we pray this person will be able to recognize God’s love for him.”

 

The same suspect was also seen at the church on Ditmars Boulevard on April Fool’s Day spitting into a Holy Water font, according to a Diocese spokesman. NYPD

The NYPD released surveillance images of the suspect with the Citi Bike before riding away from Immaculate Conception Church. He is described as having a light complexion with dark hair and wearing a black head covering, a beige field jacket, black pants, and a large black backpack.

Anyone with information regarding this hate crime investigation is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Twenty people indicted in Queens-based $4.6M vehicle theft ring after three-year probe: DA

Twenty individuals were indicted and variously charged in a wide-ranging scheme to steal cars in Queens, throughout New York City and its suburbs, following a three-year investigation by the Queens District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD, and the New York State Police dubbed “Operation Hellcat,” into the criminal enterprise based in Queens.

Some of the vehicles were stolen from owners’ driveways, some with the keys or key fobs inside. The stolen vehicles were often sold through advertisements on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The defendants are charged in nine separate indictments for a total of 373 counts, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Thursday.

Masked gunman robs Total Wireless store in Flushing, steals $6K: NYPD

Police from the 109th Precinct in Flushing are looking for a masked gunman who pulled off an armed robbery at a cell phone store on the night of Monday, May 5.

The suspect entered the Total Wireless shop located in the old Hua Cheng Restaurant at 41-19 Kissena Blvd., across the street from the Queens Public Library branch, just before 7 p.m. He approached the counter, pulled out a firearm, and threatened the 27-year-old woman who was working the night shift, police said Wednesday.