Harlem Church Desecrated With Vandalism, NYPD Says

HARLEM, NY — The New York City Police Department's Hate Crime Task Force is searching for a suspect who vandalized a church in Harlem, the NYPD said Thursday.

According to the NYPD, the man drew "anti-religious" graffiti on the front door of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 360 Lenox Ave., on the corner of 128th Street at 12:50 p.m. on Feb. 4.

Following the act of vandalism, the man ran away, heading downtown on Lenox Avenue.

Police said that the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force, which specializes in incidents that may involve bias or prejudice, is investigating the incident and is asking the public for help identifying the suspect.

No arrests have been made yet, but the police have released a photo of a suspect, who was last seen wearing a neon yellow jacket, dark-colored pants, and a black winter hat.

Police said anyone with information regarding the vandalism can call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.