SURVEILLANCE VIDEO RELEASED OF STATUE BEING STOLEN FROM BROOKLYN CHURCH;
NYPD HATE CRIMES TASK FORCE INVESTIGATING

The Diocese of Brooklyn is responding to an act of vandalism which took place last week at St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church, located at 249 9^th Street in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn.

At approximately 12 p.m. noon on Wednesday, February 20, 2019, a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt entered the Church, removed the statue of Our Lady of Cisne and threw it in the trash across the street, causing damage to the statue. A member of the Parish staff later noticed and retrieved the statue, at which time the New York City Police Department was notified.

Our Lady of Cisne is the patroness of the Loja province of Ecuador. This is the second such incident this month at St. Thomas Aquinas and the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is leading the investigation.

“The Diocese of Brooklyn strongly condemns this incident of religious hatred and is fully cooperating with the New York City Police Department’s investigation. This act of vandalism at St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church in Park Slope has not deterred, but only strengthened, the resolve and faith of the parishioners,” said Father Willy Kingsley Ndi, Parish Administrator.

The NYPD has released this surveillance video of the vandal removing the statue:
https://vimeo.com/319488016

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact NYPD’s Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).