Man decapitates child Jesus statue near Queens Catholic church: officials

FLUSHING, Queens (PIX11) – Police are searching for a man accused of decapitating a statue outside of a Queens Catholic church on Sunday, according to the NYPD.

It happened at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Flushing, per the Diocese of Brooklyn. Church officials claimed the man was caught on video parking a taxi, walking up to the statue and breaking the head off.

The head of child Jesus was found on the ground near the statue. The damage will cost the church around $20,000, church officials said.

The man allegedly used his shoe to repeatedly hit the statue around 5:30 a.m., according to authorities.

Statues of Mary and Joseph, which were next to the child Jesus statue, were not damaged.

The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is investigating.

The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission is working with the NYPD on the investigation.

It’s not the first time a statue at the church has been vandalized. Last year, an angel statue was knocked down and broken.

“I think they want to send a message to us about whatever agenda they want to push,” said church groundskeeper Rafael Silva. “But it’s not going to deter us from what we believe in and how we want to spread our love in the world.”

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org , downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018 . She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here .

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