Woman arrested after Jesus statue is decapitated outside church, police report

Woman Arrested for Decapitating Jesus Statue in Long Island

A woman has been taken into custody for allegedly decapitating a statue of Jesus outside a Catholic church on Long Island, according to police reports.

Deyonna Sbert, 41, described by police as having “no address,” faces second-degree criminal mischief charges linked to the damage of the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue at St. Mary’s Church in East Islip, as stated by Suffolk County Police.

The statue was reportedly vandalized on May 15 around 11:15 p.m.

“After an investigation by detectives from the Hate Crimes Unit, Deyonna Sbert was arrested at 6:39 a.m. outside 221 W. Main Street in Bay Shore,” police indicated in a statement released Wednesday.

Investigation Underway Following Vandalism

Sbert has been held at the 4th Precinct and is set to be arraigned Thursday at First District Court in Central Islip.

Reports suggest that congregants discovered the statue’s head missing on Sunday morning as they arrived for the first communion celebration.

Father Anthony Iconis, pastor of St. Mary’s Church, remarked, “We had our first communion right across the street in the auditorium. This is where the kids come and take pictures.” He later located the statue’s head in some nearby bushes.

Longtime parishioner Regina Vavrica shared her feelings about the incident, saying, “Everyone is going to be upset about this. It doesn’t really matter whether you belong to this diocese or not, or whether you are Catholic or Jewish.”

Community Responds to the Vandalism

The church’s pastor added that donations are already being collected to help restore the statue, which is expected to be repaired soon. “Yeah, that’s terrible,” Father Iconis said. “I just ask people to pray for the person who did this. It’s not right, but you can still pray for them.”

As for the investigation, detectives from the hate crimes unit are looking into the matter. Suffolk County Police emphasized in a statement that criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty.