Police Seek Suspect in Church Vandalism Case
Authorities in New York City are on the lookout for an individual who allegedly committed a series of hate crimes last month. The suspect displayed a Pride flag while defacing three churches with vandalism containing anti-Christian messages.
According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the incident began at the Refuge Christian Church in Far Rockaway, Queens, around 1:40 a.m. on October 5. The suspect, seen wearing a rainbow face covering and riding a bicycle, was reportedly responsible for the vandalism.
Shortly after the first incident, the individual, dressed in rainbow-patterned clothing, moved on to the Liberation Church in the nearby city of Oasis, where more anti-Christian graffiti was discovered. Both churches are located on Mott Avenue.
Surveillance footage released by the NYPD captured the suspect writing “Anti-gay cult” in black paint on one of the church’s exteriors. This video is believed to have been recorded at the Refuge Christian Church.
In a related note, a recent report highlighted that attacks on churches across the United States have significantly risen since 2021.
Later that night, around 2 a.m., the suspect allegedly spray-painted “Cult Members Welcome” and “Cult” on the walls and sidewalk outside St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Church on New Haven Street. Police reported that two religious statues were also damaged, with their faces painted over.
The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is currently investigating this string of hate crimes, as the suspect remains at large.
Father Francis Shannon, the priest at St. Mary’s for over eight years, expressed his disappointment over the vandalism. “It really broke my heart to hear about this. I was at my mom’s house when I got pictures sent to me right after it happened,” he said. “I woke up to see them, and it was truly sad.”
Shannon also suggested that the acts might stem more from an anti-institutional sentiment rather than outright hatred. “I think this is more of an anti-institutional thing than a hate crime,” he remarked.
In an effort to address the larger context, he noted that such actions should not reflect the views of the entire LGBTQ community. “This doesn’t represent the broader movement,” he stated. “The individual needs to find a way to express frustrations, not act out violently.”
