On Sunday March 25, 2018, at approximately 1:55 p.m., the Verona Police Department responded to the grounds of Our Lady of the Lake Church on a report of malicious mischief to religious statues. Officers found that three cement statues were damaged. All of the statues are approximately 5 feet tall and sit on the southwest section of the property, alongside the Montrose Ave. entrance driveway.
It appears the actor used a blunt instrument to break the feet off of a statue of Jesus that is mounted to a cross. A statue of the Blessed Mary showed signs of damage to the face and feet and a statue of Saint John had damage to the feet and also the hands were broken off.
A thorough canvas and investigation revealed the damage may have occurred last month but with the series of weather events, it was not noticed until this past Sunday.
The Verona Police Department Detective Bureau and the Essex County Prosecutor Office Special Victims Unit are investigating this incident as a Bias Crime and currently following several leads and gathering residents’ home surveillance videos.
As stated by Verona’s Acting Chief of Police Christopher Kiernan, “Any offense that targets religious symbols or artifacts will be investigated keenly and with vigor by the Verona Police Department and Essex County Prosecutors Office. As outlined by the New Jersey Attorney General, these incidents undermine the foundations of freedom.”
