BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — A decades-old statue of the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus that belonged to a Brooklyn Heights church was knocked over by a vandal last week, according to police and the church.
The unidentified vandal entered the courtyard of St. Charles Borromeo Church's parish and shook the statue until it broke off its cement podium between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on June 11 and 12, according to police and surveillance footage of the incident.
The video then shows the man slowly placing the statue on the ground and fleeing the scene with another man who watched the entire incident.
The damage was valued at $250, according to police. The incident, first reported by New Evangelization Television, is under investigation.
The Rev. Edward Doran was asleep in the parish rectory at 31 Sidney Place when the incident took place, he said.
The Brooklyn Heights church commissioned the bronze statue from France in 1964, according Doran, who called it "a masterpiece."
"The statue itself is not destroyed," he said.
While police are investigating the act of vandalism as a case of criminal mischief, Doran believes it's a "bias" crime because of the statue's religious significance.
He said some neighborhood locals are now worried that similar incidents will occur at other properties in the area.
"It's a concern that entails the entire neighborhood," he said. "It's really a work of art."
The holy statue will eventually be restored to its original place in front of the parish, said Doran, who has been with the church, located on the same block, for seven years.
Doran does not yet have an estimated cost for the repair but plans to launch fundraising efforts to help pay for the work.
As for the two men caught on camera, Doran hopes that if they're caught, he will be able to talk with them about their motivations and the value of other people's possessions.
"I would certainly like to sit face-to-face with them," he said. "I'd like to deal with them on a human level."
