#USA #FL – A 53-year-old DeBary man was arrested and charged in early August 2026 after authorities said he vandalized a religious statue at a local Catholic church the previous month.
Volusia County Sheriff’s Office investigators identified the suspect as John Mattern. He faced a charge of criminal mischief at a place of worship, a third-degree felony.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred on July 23, 2026, at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in DeBary. After Sunday evening Mass, a parishioner noticed that a statue of the Virgin Mary was missing from the church’s prayer garden. Church staff later discovered the statue had been ripped from its pedestal or concrete slab and thrown into nearby woods.
Surveillance video from the church captured the suspect during the act. The footage showed a man removing the statue and discarding it in the wooded area. The Sheriff’s Office released images from the investigation and sought the public’s help in identifying the individual. Tips from community members assisted investigators in naming Mattern as the suspect.
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The agency thanked those who shared the information and helped lead to the arrest. Officials noted that the case remained under investigation at the time of the announcement.
Cover Image: John Mattern, 53, at the time of arrest with footage that allegedly shows him committing the act of vandalism.
