Photos Released After Church Crucifix Smashed In Hudson County

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — Police are searching for a “person of interest” after a man smashed a $1,500 crucifix at a church in Bayonne, authorities announced Monday.

According to the Bayonne Police Department, the incident took place around 8:45 p.m. on Sept. 25 on the 47th Street side of St. Vincent de Paul Church at 979 Avenue C.

A woman on the scene told officers that she saw a man remove a crucifix with a statue of Jesus Christ from the church's front lawn, then throw it to the ground, smashing it in half. The man carried the broken pieces to a nearby wall and began slamming them against it, shattering the statue of Jesus into pieces, police said.

The man allegedly picked up the remnants of the crucifix and threw them over the wall onto the sidewalk. He then fled the area, police said.

• See related article: Man Destroys $1500 Church Crucifix In Hudson County

On Monday, Bayonne police released surveillance photos of the broken crucifix, along with a “person of interest” in the incident.

Police said the person being sought is a Hispanic male from 18 to 25-years-old with a light skin complexion. He’s 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches with dark hair in a “comb-over style,” and was wearing a blue t-shirt and blue denim shorts.

Anyone with information about this incident or the person of interest can call the Bayonne Police Department at 201-858-6925.

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