Jose Rodriguez / Diocese of Brooklyn
CV NEWS FEED // New York City police arrested a man from Queens for multiple alleged hate crimes against the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens.
Astoria Post reported that police arrested 38-year-old Jose Rodriguez on April 9 for aggravated harassment, burglary as a hate crime, criminal mischief as a hate crime, and other related crimes.
They said Rodriguez approached a priest who was greeting parishioners after Sunday Mass at 1 p.m. EST April 6 and told him to “die.”
Rodriguez then entered the church and walked up to a woman holding a statue of the Infant Jesus that she had brought for the priest to bless. Rodriguez allegedly knocked it out of her hands, shattering it.
Rodriguez had allegedly committed hate crimes at the parish before, as he was reportedly seen spitting in the holy water font April 1.
“As we approach the holiest days on the Christian calendar, this quick arrest sends a message that religious intolerance is not acceptable,” Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn Deputy Press Secretary John Quaglione said. “We thank the NYPD for making the safety of those worshipping at Immaculate Conception Church in Astoria a top priority.”
