Man Destroys Angel Statues Outside New York Catholic Church In Possible Hate Crime

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is investigating a possible hate crime after a man destroyed two statues outside of a Catholic Church in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday.

The NYPD said that on Sunday at approximately 3:57 a.m., an unidentified man urinated on two religious angel statues located at the Our Lady of Consolation Roman Catholic Church before pushing them to the ground and breaking them. The unidentified male was last seen fleeing Metropolitan Avenue toward Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, according to police.

In the surveillance video obtained by police, the suspect can be seen zipping up his pants before pushing the angel statues to the ground and then walking away.

The unknown individual is described as a white male, 6'0" tall, weighs 190 pounds and is approximately 30-years-old, according to the NYPD. The man is a light complexion with straight, short brown hair and was last seen wearing a dark-colored peacoat, beige slacks, and Van brand sneakers, police said.

Father Andrzej Wasko, a vicar at the church, told the New York Post that the church is attended by the Polish community.

"Those broken statues were found [by] our pastor around 6 a.m. Sunday," Wasko told the New York Post.

The NYPD Crime Stoppers tweeted on Monday that they are offering a $2,500 reward for anyone with information on the incident.

The NYPD said the crime is being investigated as a hate crime. Anyone with information in regard to this incident is encouraged to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). All calls are strictly confidential. Tips can also be submitted on the CrimeStoppers website at www.NYPDcrimestoppers.com, through Twitter @NYPDTips or texting information to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

Hate crimes increased 17 percent in 2017, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 2017 Hate Crime Statistics released in November. The FBI found that 20.6 percent of victims involved in hate crimes were involved in anti-religious hate crimes. Out of the 1,749 victims of anti-religious hate crimes, 58.1 percent were victims of anti-Jewish attacks, 18.6 percent were victims of anti-Islamic (Muslim) attacks, and 4.3 percent were victims of anti-Catholic attacks, according to the report.

In November, the NYPD asked for the public's assistance in identifying a suspect who randomly attacked a nine-year-old Jewish boy in Brooklyn. The boy was walking home in Brooklyn, New York, when an unknown, black man punched him several times in the face before running away from the scene. The boy suffered pain and swelling on his face, police said.