A sacrilegious act caught on camera in which a taxi driver used his shoe to decapitate a statue of the baby Jesus outside a New York City church is being investigated as a hate crime.
According to footage released by police and the Diocese of Brooklyn, around 5:30 a.m. Sunday, a blasphemous thug driving an SUV taxi parked in front of Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Flushing, nonchalantly crossed the road, then removed his shoes and charged toward the white marble statues of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus.
According to the footage, the taxi driver hits Mary and Joseph over the head with his shoe, then turns his attention to Jesus, continuing to hit him over the head until he falls to the ground.
The suspect is then seen calmly walking away with the shoe-shaped murder weapon in his hand.
“This is a deeply disturbing incident and those who attended Mass yesterday were shocked and horrified to learn this had taken place,” said the parish’s pastor, Father Sean Sackiel.
“The Holy Family is the foundation of our faith community and this statue has special meaning to many in our parish,” he added.
The statue has stood outside the church for 42 years, but the damage it sustained on Sunday will cost $20,000 to repair, according to the Brooklyn Diocese.
The statues of Mary and Joseph remained intact despite the blows.
Hitting someone with the sole of a shoe is considered a serious insult in the Middle East, but it is unclear whether that was the suspect’s intention or whether the shoe was simply a tool at hand.
“We must pray for increased religious tolerance throughout the city,” Father Sackil said.
