#USA #NY – A masked vandal smashed a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a hammer at St. Rita Roman Catholic Church early on Aug. 1, 2026, in what authorities investigated as a hate crime and the fourth attack on the parish since 2024.
Surveillance video showed the man jumping a fence into a courtyard at the church, located at 36-25 11th Street in the Dutch Kills section of Queens, at approximately 1:42 a.m. He approached the statue of the Blessed Mother, removed a hammer from his pants pocket, and struck it, causing the figure to fall from its pedestal. Reports indicated the force of the blow also broke off the statue’s head. The perpetrator then returned the hammer to his pocket, climbed back over the fence, and walked away.
The Diocese of Brooklyn announced the incident and confirmed that the New York Police Department’s Hate Crimes Task Force was investigating. Officials described the suspect as having a light complexion and dark hair; he wore a black T-shirt and black shorts.
Father Felix Sanchez, the pastor, expressed frustration over the repeated targeting of the church. “We are tired of this. I am so upset I don’t know what to say,” he said. “People are a little bit scared because of the attacks.”
The Aug. 1 incident marked the fourth act of vandalism at St. Rita’s since 2024. In February 2024, a person threw a construction cone that missed a statue of the Virgin Mary but shattered a 60-year-old stained-glass window. In March 2026, a man entered the church while parishioners were present and punched a statue of St. Jude. Later that same month, on March 21, another vandal spray-painted a statue of St. Francis of Assisi blue and wrote the word “PAGAN,” along with an arrow pointing up the pedestal, on the sidewalk.
John Quaglione, a spokesman for the Diocese of Brooklyn, called the pattern of attacks a serious problem affecting houses of worship across faiths. No arrests had been reported in connection with the latest vandalism as of early August reports. Authorities asked anyone with information to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (or 888-57-PISTA for Spanish speakers).
The church, which had recently marked its 125th anniversary, continued to serve its community amid the ongoing security concerns.
Image: The Blessed Virgin Mary statue destroyed as a result of this incident on August 1st, 2026.
