Caught on video: Man attempts to steal statue of Virgin Mary from St. Gerard Majella church in Hollis, Queens
NEW YORK - A suspect was caught on video attempting to steal a statue from a church in Queens.
It happened Sunday morning at St. Gerard Majella church in Hollis.
Surveillance video shows the man entering a gated area in front of the church. He can then be seen reaching over a fence, and hoisting the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the lawn and onto his shoulder.
He walked a few steps before being spotted by a neighbor, the Brooklyn Diocese said. The suspect then tossed the statue back into the rectory garden and took off.
The statue was not damaged.
"Sunday morning, as we started opening up the church to welcome people to pray in a special way for peace in the world, and blessings during this Lenten season, a disturbed person attempted to steal our welcoming statue of Mother Mary. Thankfully, due to our good neighbors in Hollis, this person did not succeed. This incident is sad, and a bit scary, but is a lesson for all of us that even in those dark and frightening moments God is protecting us," said Father Josephjude Gannon of St. Gerard Majella.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.