MANHATTAN — The Catholic Church is "cyber torturing me," a homeless man told police after he was caught on video surveillance hurling statues at the Virgin Mary icon outside a SoHo church.
David Hedeen, 40, hopped the fence outside St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church at 154 Sullivan St., near West Houston, about 12:40 a.m. June 26 and smashed the statues, police said.
Four statues, including the one of the Virgin Mary, were damaged, police said. Hedeen was arrested Thursday about 4:45 p.m., police said.
When officers arrested Hedeen, he told investigators he was taking revenge on the Catholic Church for "cyber torturing me," according to a criminal complaint.
"The Catholic Church was cyber torturing me," He said, according to the complaint. "I smashed those statues but didn't break them. The Catholic Church kills people."
Hedeen was arraigned in Manhattan criminal court Friday afternoon. A judge ordered him held without bail pending a psychiatric evaluation. His next court date is July 31.
The church's pastor didn't immediately return a request for comment.
