Verona Man Charged With Bias Crime, Smashed Church Statues: PD

VERONA, NJ — A Verona man has admitted to smashing statues at a local church after a five-month police investigation, authorities announced Tuesday.

According to the Verona Police Department, Elliot Bennett, 35, of Verona, has been charged with criminal mischief and bias intimidation in connection with vandalism that took place at Our Lady of the Lake Church in March.

Bennett allegedly told police that he smashed the statues because he saw people “worshiping false idols made from stone” at the church, which is against his spiritual beliefs.

As part of their investigation, Verona detectives originally spoke with Bennett about the statues on March 27, however he stopped the conversation and requested to speak with an attorney. The detective bureau continued their investigation, following multiple leads over the last five months.

According to police, a few weeks ago, Bennett contacted Detective Sergeant Timothy Banta and requested to speak with him directly. Bennett then voluntarily came to Verona Police Headquarters and admitted to the act of vandalism at Our Lady of the Lake.

Police Chief Christopher Kiernan credited Banta and detectives Joel Martin and TJ Conroy for their “steadfast commitment” to the case. Kiernan also acknowledged Bennett for his ‘honesty and cooperation” in coming forward to speak with detectives.

“I hope this offers some closure to the church and the community,” Kiernan said, adding that he hopes Verona can “continue to strive to always respect one another.”

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