4 statues vandalized at Brockton church, police investigating

BROCKTON, Mass. — Several statues at St. Edith Stein Parish in Brockton have been vandalized, and police are working to find out who is responsible.

Around 7 a.m. Tuesday, a maintenance worker noticed the damage and alerted church officials.

"All four statues on the property have been defaced,” Father Joe Raeke said.

One of those statues had just been repaired late last year from another act of vandalism.

"It makes you wonder how much hate is out there,” parishioner Moses Rodrigues said. "We pay great reverence to our saints and our statues and when you see that done, it really is like a slap in the face to everybody that's a part of that church.”

Brockton police confirm a report was filed and an investigation into the crime was opened with a focus on a possible connection to another act of vandalism a few months ago.

"He broke a window and went into the church and smashed some things,” Raeke said of the now-arrested suspect in that case.

The person or people who did this is still unknown.

"I’m hoping the individual or people who did this will get the help that they need because clearly this is not something that anyone would want to do if they were in their right mind,” Raeke said. "I forgive you for what you've done but I'm still upset that you felt you had to do that.”

There are no surveillance cameras, only an alarm system inside the church itself, so cracking this case will take some good old fashioned police work.

Cox Media Group