VERONA, N.J. (AP) — Police are investigating vandalism to three statues outside a New Jersey church as a possible bias crime.
NJ.com reports that a statue of Jesus on a cross outside Our Lady of the Lake Church in Verona had its feet smashed off.
Acting police chief Christopher Kiernan said a statue of Mary had damage to the face and feet, and a statue of Saint John had hands broken off and damage to the feet.
The vandalism to the five-foot-tall statues was reported last weekend but Kiernan said it may have been inflicted in February and gone unnoticed due to the weather.
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He said offenses targeting religious symbols or artifacts “will be investigated keenly and with vigor.”
Archdiocese of Newark spokesman Jim Goodness says the statues were repaired after vandalism in 2012.
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Information from: NJ.com, http://www.nj.com