By Jessica Easthope
The NYPD is investigating an incident of criminal mischief at St. Fortunata Church in East New York. On Monday, July 6, a man was seen on surveillance video etching threats onto the church doors and damaging a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Staff say they fear the man, who appeared to have a sharp metal object, will return when the church is open.
“I guess what upset me most though was the threat kind of thing, I said is it a real threat or is it a disturbed person? Is it somebody who was abused maybe, is it a direct threat,” asked Sister Loretta Florio, the pastoral associate at St. Fortunata Church.
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“It’s obvious he had a weapon because we saw him scraping we don’t know if it was a knife but that’s what it looked like,” said Maria Jorge the bookkeeper at St. Fortunata. “And what if he comes back? We don’t know this is something very scary because we have to open the church for the people but we hope that he doesn’t show up.”
“Worried about him, his own well being, whether he will return yes we worry about that also,” said Sr. Florio.
“We know that it’s hate against the Catholic Church we feel sad and at the same time scared,” Jorge said.