A Long Island church community was left stunned after police say a woman allegedly beheaded a statue of Jesus outside a Catholic church just as families were preparing for a sacred weekend celebration.
Deyonna Subert, 41, was arrested Wednesday after Suffolk County Police said she damaged a Sacred Heart of Jesus statue outside St. Mary’s Church in East Islip, New York.
Police described Subert as “undomiciled” and said she was charged with second-degree criminal mischief after an investigation by the department’s Hate Crimes Unit.
The alleged vandalism happened around 11:15 p.m. on May 15 outside the church on East Main Street, according to police.
But parishioners did not discover the shocking damage until Sunday morning, when families were arriving for Mass and First Communion celebrations.
The timing made the scene even more upsetting for church members.
Father Anthony Iaconis, the pastor of St. Mary’s, told News 12 Long Island that children celebrating First Communion often take pictures near the statue.
“Across the way into the auditorium, we had first communions and this is where the kids come and they take their picture,” he said.
Instead, families arrived to find the statue of Jesus without its head.
The severed head was later found in nearby bushes, according to the pastor.
Photos from the scene showed the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue standing outside the church with its head missing, a disturbing sight for parishioners who said the damage felt deeply personal.
“I think everyone would be upset by it,” longtime parishioner Regina Vavricka told News 12.
“Whether you belong to this parish or not, or whether you’re Catholic or Jewish, it doesn’t really matter.”
Police said Subert was arrested early Wednesday morning outside an address in Bay Shore. She was held overnight at the Fourth Precinct and was expected to be arraigned Thursday in First District Court in Central Islip.
The church has already begun receiving donations to repair the statue, and Father Iaconis said it could be restored within days.
Still, despite the anger and hurt felt across the parish, the pastor urged people not to respond with hatred.
“Yeah, it’s a terrible thing,” he said. “I just ask people to pray for the person who did this. It’s not right, but we can still pray for them.”
The case is being investigated by Hate Crimes Unit detectives, though police noted that the charge is only an accusation.
“A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty,” Suffolk County Police said.
