Diocesan News

Man Charged with Hate Crime for Vandalism at Holy Family Catholic Church

July 15, 2024
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The statue of the Holy Family has greeted parishioners outside the church for 42 years. (Photo: Courtesy of Holy Family Church)

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — A man has been charged for the destruction of a statue outside Holy Family Catholic Church in Fresh Meadows on June 30, the Queens District Attorney’s Office announced on July 12.

Jamshaid Choudhry, 44, has been charged with criminal mischief as a hate crime alongside with a slew of related crimes for the desecration of a statue of a child Jesus statue, the attack causing his head to fall off.

“We will not tolerate unprovoked attacks, especially those driven by hate. Queens stands as a beacon of diversity and inclusivity, where freedom of religion and expression are celebrated as fundamental pillars of our democracy,” District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement.

The incident took place at around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 30, leaving the community in shock, Holy Family pastor Father Sean Suckiel told The Tablet. The statue stood at the church for 42 years.

“The statue is really the outside face of Holy Family Church,” Father Suckiel told The Tablet on July 1, describing how the statue is where they take photos following baptisms, weddings, first Communions, and more.

Holy Family’s pastor, Father Sean Suckiel, who said the head of the child Jesus statue was recovered, added that the church will do everything it can to repair the statue. “If we can repair it, we’ll repair it because it’s an important statue to us,” he explained. (Photos: Courtesy of Holy Family Church)

According to the charges, Choudhry can be seen on video surveillance parking a yellow cab across the street from the church. He is seen running up to the statue depicting Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, taking off his shoe, then spitting and hitting the statue with the shoe. The Queens District Attorney’s Office estimates $3,000 in damages from the attack. Choudhry was arrested on July 11, and charged the following day.

This recent incident is the second time in 15 months that Holy Family Church has been the target of vandals, with a statue of an angel outside the church destroyed by teenagers on March 23, 2023.

If convicted, Choudhry faces five to 15 years in prison; he is set to return to court on Aug. 1.