Astoria resident Jose Rodriguez was indicted for destroying a religious statue after allegedly telling a priest to “die” at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. NYPD
May 1, 2025 By Bill Parry
A Queens grand jury has indicted an Astoria man on hate crime and other charges for allegedly targeting Immaculate Conception Church on Ditmars Boulevard in a series of disturbing incidents last month, including the desecration of a religious statue and an assault on a parishioner.
Jose Rodriguez, 38, of Shore Boulevard, was arraigned Wednesday in Queens Supreme Court on charges including burglary, attempted assault, and aggravated harassment as a hate crime.
“This defendant has been indicted on felony and hate crime charges for allegedly entering a Catholic church with the sole purpose of desecrating a holy institution and harassing those inside,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
According to the indictment and investigation, Jose Rodriguez, 38, of Shore Boulevard, rode a Citi Bike to Immaculate Conception Church, located at 29th Street and Ditmars Boulevard, at around 1 p.m. on April 6, just after Sunday Mass had ended. Upon arriving, he allegedly shook hands with Rev. James Hughes before telling the priest to “die.”
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is located on 29th Street and Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria. Via Google Maps
Rodriguez then entered the church, walked up to the altar where a woman was having a statue of the baby Jesus blessed, and allegedly slapped it out of her hands. The statue shattered on the floor. He fled the scene and rode off toward Astoria Park.
Rodriguez lives at the Marine Terrace Apartments, located just north of the park, roughly a mile from the church.
According to the charges, Rodriguez returned to the church around 1 p.m. on April 9 and trespassed behind the altar. He is alleged to have taken the top of a glass water cruet and thrown it at a parishioner who was praying. The object shattered on impact and narrowly missed the victim.
After the incident, Rodriguez allegedly spat in the face of a church employee who had flagged down officers from the 114th Precinct. He was taken into custody and later re-arrested by the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force.
The Diocese of Brooklyn reported that Rodriguez had previously targeted the church on April 1, when he was seen spitting into a Holy Water font.
“Houses of worship are sanctuaries in our communities and Jose Rodriguez allegedly violated that covenant by intentionally creating havoc in what is supposed to be a place of peace,” Katz said. “I thank our partners at the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force and the 114th Precinct for their quick apprehension of this defendant.”
Queens Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino ordered Rodriguez to return to court on June 6. If convicted on the top count, Rodriguez faces a potential maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
