Add The New York Post on Google A Godless goon beheaded a statue of Jesus displayed outside of a Long Island church in the middle of the night last weekend — but cops helped answer the community’s prayers.
Deyonna Subert, 41, was arrested and charged with criminal mischief Wednesday afternoon for the alleged decapitation of the statue at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in East Islip, after a multi-day hunt by the Suffolk County Police’s Hate Crimes unit.
Police sources said authorities believe the Bay Shore woman allegedly suffers from mental illness lashed out due to experiencing an episode.
“When you look at what’s going on around the country — the attack on the mosque, the antisemitism, this anti-Christian hate — you might lose your faith in humanity,” Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association President Lou Civello told reporters outside the church shortly after the arrest.
Before cops announced Subert’s apprehension, Civello and the GOOD Foundation — a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Long Island’s law enforcement community — revealed that they would team up to answer the church’s prayers and donated $1,000, each, for the church to replace the statue.
“As police officers, we’re tasked with catching the criminals. It’s not often that we get to undo the harm that they have done,” Civello said, handing the giant checks over to St. Mary’s pastor, Anthony Iaconis, shortly after Subert’s arrest.
But despite how outraged and upset Iaconis and his congregants have been over the statue’s desecration — he and other church members told The Post they not only forgive Subert, but pray for her and even said they would love to invite her into the church to make amends.
“It’s evil,” Pastor Iaconis said about the vandalism.
“But Christ calls on us to forgive — and that is how peace comes about,” he added.
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Marleni Danesi, who has been attending St. Mary’s for decades, described the vandalism as “sad, but not surprising,” and said she has been praying for Subert.
“You combat hate with love. God cares for all sinners,” Danesi said.
