The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force arrested Astoria resident Jose Rodriguez on Wednesday for vandalizing a religious statue inside the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church along Ditmars Boulevard. NYPD
April 10, 2025 By Bill Parry
The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force arrested an Astoria man on Wednesday for vandalizing a religious statue and menacing a priest inside the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on Sunday.
Jose Rodriguez, 38, from Shore Boulevard in the Marine Terrace apartments, was taken into custody by police from the 114th Precinct in Astoria for committing another hate crime inside the same church at 21-47 29th St., just after 2 p.m. on Wednesday, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation.
The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force, which joined the criminal mischief investigation on Monday, realized that Rodriguez was their suspect and re-arrested him at the 114th Precinct on Wednesday evening, where he was booked for burglary as a hate crime, aggravated harassment, criminal mischief as a hate crime and other related crimes.
Rodriguez disrespected the church on three separate occasions, and he was arrested after his third visit on Wednesday. Via Google Maps and NYPD
On Sunday, April 6, a priest was greeting parishioners outside the church following a Spanish Mass just after 1 p.m. when Rodriguez allegedly approached him and told him to “die” before entering the church and heading towards the altar. Rodriguez proceeded to walk up to a woman who had brought a statue of Baby Jesus to the church to have it blessed and slapped the religious statue out of her hand near the altar rail, causing it to break into several pieces.
The suspect stormed out of the church onto Ditmars Boulevard where he jumped onto a Citi Bike and rode off toward Astoria Park. His home at the Marine Terrace apartments is just a few blocks north of Ditmars Boulevard just a mile away from the church.
It wasn’t the first time Rodriguez disrespected the same house of worship. On April 1, he was seen inside the church spitting into the Holy Water font.
“As we approach the holiest days on the Christian calendar, this quick arrest sends a message that religious intolerance is not acceptable,” Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn Deputy Press Secretary John Quaglione said. “We thank the NYPD for making the safety of those worshipping at Immaculate Conception Church in Astoria a top priority.”
Rodriguez was also charged with aggravated harassment, burglary, and criminal mischief. His arraignment is pending in Queens Criminal Court.
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