The NYPD is seeking assistance from the public to identify an individual who committed theft at a Queens church and defiled its holy water, an act currently being investigated as a potential hate crime.
This individual entered St. Anastasia Catholic Church in Douglaston around 11:45 a.m. on Saturday. Once inside, he poured a beverage into the baptismal font, a sacred container typically elevated on a pedestal and filled with consecrated water, according to police reports.
In addition to this act of desecration, the suspect stole an unspecified amount of money from the donation box and took a cloth from the altar, as confirmed by law enforcement officials.
After committing these acts, the perpetrator absconded with both the stolen cash and altar cloth, disappearing without a trace.
No injuries were reported following this incident.
The suspect was last seen wearing a blue hat, a light-colored sweatshirt, a black jacket, dark pants, dark sneakers, and carrying a backpack.
The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating.
The department has asked anyone with information about the incident to call its Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at on X @NYPDTips.
