The Diocese of Brooklyn is announcing an act of vandalism at St. Rita Roman Catholic Church in Long Island City that is being investigated by the NYPD as a hate crime. The incident occurred early Saturday morning, August 1, 2026.
At 1:42 a.m. on August 1, a masked man is seen on surveillance video jumping over a fence into a courtyard where a statue of the Blessed Mother stood. The perpetrator is then seen taking a hammer out of his pants pocket and smashing the statue, causing it to fall off its pedestal. The man then jumps back over the fence and walks away.
This is the fourth time since 2024 that St. Rita’s Church has been vandalized. Previous incidents included the smashing of a 60-year-old stained-glass window; the defacing of a statue of St. Francis of Assisi and the sidewalk with graffiti; and damage to a statue of St. Jude located inside the church.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
The attached photos and video footage are courtesy of St. Rita’s Church.
VIMEO: https://vimeo.com/1214846726
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Adriana Rodriguez
(646) 241-9805
adrodriguez@diobrook.org
John Quaglione
(718) 576-9180
jquaglione@diobrook.org
