A 41-year-old woman, Deyonna Subert, was taken into custody after allegedly damaging a Sacred Heart of Jesus statue at St. Mary’s Church in East Islip, Long Island. Suffolk County Police charged her with second-degree criminal mischief.
The police stated that the statue at 118 East Main St. was vandalized on May 15 at around 11:15 p.m. After an investigation, Hate Crimes Unit detectives arrested Subert at 6:39 a.m. outside 221 West Main Street, Bay Shore.
The incident was discovered on Sunday morning when church members gathered for services and First Communion celebrations. Parishioners noticed the statue’s head was missing. Father Anthony Iaconis, the pastor of St. Mary’s Church, later found the statue’s head in nearby bushes.
Father Iaconis commented on the situation, stating that the community was understandably upset by the act, which affected people of all faiths. He mentioned that donations had begun to come in to repair the damage, and he asked parishioners to pray for the person responsible despite their actions.
The police highlighted that a criminal charge remains an accusation and that Subert is considered innocent until proven otherwise. She was held at the Fourth Precinct and was scheduled to appear in First District Court in Central Islip on Thursday.
Jasmine Baehr, a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital, reported the story.
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