A woman has been taken into custody for allegedly beheading a statue of Jesus in front of a Catholic church on Long Island, as reported by the police.
Deyonna Subert, 41, identified by authorities as lacking a permanent residence, faces charges of second-degree criminal mischief related to the destruction of a Sacred Heart of Jesus statue at St. Mary’s Church in East Islip, according to the Suffolk County Police.
The incident occurred at the church, located at 118 East Main Street, on May 15 around 11:15 p.m., according to police reports.
“Following an investigation by detectives from the Hate Crimes Unit, Deyonna Subert was apprehended at 6:39 a.m. outside 221 West Main Street in Bay Shore,” stated the Suffolk County Police in a press statement released on Wednesday.
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An image shows the decapitated head of the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue outside St. Mary’s Church in East Islip, New York, following the act of vandalism. (News 12 Long Island)
Subert was held overnight at the Fourth Precinct and was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday at First District Court in Central Islip, police said.
Churchgoers discovered the statue’s head missing Sunday morning as parishioners gathered for services and First Communion celebrations, according to News12 Long Island video from the scene.
“Across the way into the auditorium, we had first communions and this is where the kids come and they take their picture,” St. Mary’s pastor Father Anthony Iaconis told News12.
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Father Anthony Iaconis holds the severed head of a Sacred Heart of Jesus statue outside St. Mary’s Church in East Islip, N.Y., after the statue was vandalized. (News 12 Long Island)
Iaconis said he later found the statue’s head in nearby bushes.
“I think everyone would be upset by it,” longtime parishioner Regina Vavricka told the outlet.
“Whether you belong to this parish or not, or whether you’re Catholic or Jewish, it doesn’t really matter.”
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A Sacred Heart of Jesus statue stands without its head outside St. Mary’s Church in East Islip, N.Y., after the statue was vandalized. (News 12 Long Island)
The church’s pastor said donations had already begun coming in to help repair the statue, which was expected to be fixed within days.
“Yeah, it’s a terrible thing,” Iaconis said. “I just ask people to pray for the person who did this. It’s not right, but we can still pray for them.”
Detectives from the department’s Hate Crimes Unit investigated the incident.
“A criminal charge is an accusation,” Suffolk County Police said in the release. “A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.”
Suffolk County Police did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment.
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