Suffolk woman charged with criminal mischief after statue of Jesus' head removed at East Islip church
This is not the first time the statue has been damaged.
More Stories
Police say a woman has been charged in connection with the vandalism of a religious statue at an East Islip church.
Authorities identified the suspect as 41-year-old Deyonna Suber, who appeared before a judge on a charge of criminal mischief.
According to police, the department’s hate crime unit arrested Suber in Bay Shore on Wednesday, just days after parishioners at St. Mary’s Church discovered over the weekend that the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue on the property had been vandalized and left missing its head.
“It just means a lot, it’s part of our sacred space,” said parishioner Chris Cortina. “To ride by and see the head lopped off, it’s just awful.”
Another local resident, Joseph LaRocca, expressed shock at the damage.
“Jesus shouldn’t be desecrated,” he said. “Wasn’t he desecrated once before, hung on the cross? Is it ever going to stop?”
This is not the first time the statue has been damaged. The church’s pastor, who was not available for an on-camera interview, said a tree fell several years ago, knocking the statue’s head off. It was repaired prior to the latest incident.
Suber’s attorney, Jason Bassett, said in court there is no allegation the act was motivated by bias.
“There is no allegation that this was a hate crime. There is no allegation that any motivation had anything to do with anti-Christian or anti-Catholic,” he said.
Officials have not released a motive or detailed how the statue was damaged.
Suber denied the charge in court and was released under supervised conditions. A judge also issued an order of protection barring her from going near the church.
