Surveillance footage released by the Diocese of Brooklyn shows a masked man climbing a fence and violently smashing a Virgin Mary statue with a hammer outside St. Rita Roman Catholic Church in Long Island City, New York City. The incident occurred at approximately 1:42 a.m. on August 6, 2026.

Church officials stated in a press release that this is the fourth reported vandalism incident targeting the parish since 2024. The New York Police Department (NYPD) is investigating the latest vandalism as a possible hate crime.

John Quaglione, Deputy Press Secretary for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, noted, "This week, the NYPD also issued a crime stats update and hate crimes are up by 9.4% over the same 7-month period (Jan-July) of last year."

The Diocese of Brooklyn described the attack as part of a string of attacks targeting the parish. The NYPD continues to investigate the case.

Sources