UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Police are looking for a man who went on a church-vandalizing spree across Manhattan's East Side, targeting St. Patrick's Cathedral, the residence of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, and an Upper East Side house of worship, according to authorities.
The man, identified as 28-year-old Juan Velez, began the spree on Oct. 28 around 12:30 p.m., when he walked up to the parish residence behind St. Patrick's near East 50th Street and Fifth Avenue, police said.
Video shows Velez taking out a wrench and throwing it at the building, damaging an outer glass door that protects a door leading to the residence, police said. Cardinal Dolan, who lives at the parish house, told NBC he was not at home at the time, though he was rattled by the incident.
The next day, police say, Velez appeared around 11 a.m. in front of All Saints Episcopal Church on East 60th Street near Second Avenue, ripped a flag outside the church and damaged its wooden front doors, police said. He then fled on foot toward Second Avenue, according to authorities.
Hours later, around 8 p.m. the same day, Velez walked up to the Archdiocese of New York headquarters on First Avenue near East 55th Street and threw an unidentified object, again damaging the building's outer glass door, police said. He picked up the object and fled on foot.
Police identified Velez as the suspect Thursday evening, listing his residence as the men's shelter on East 30th Street. Velez is described as about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 170 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
The acts of vandalism are being investigated by the NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force, and police asked anyone with information to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). People can also submit tips online or on Twitter, @NYPDTips.
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