Someone didn't just knock over a garden ornament at a DeBary church. The Virgin Mary statue at St. Ann's Catholic Church was ripped from its slab and dumped in the woods after a Sunday evening Mass, deputies say. Now investigators are asking neighbors to help identify the man caught on surveillance.
A parishioner noticed the statue missing from the church's prayer garden, and a closer look showed it had been torn loose from its base, according to ClickOrlando. Investigators say surveillance footage captured an unidentified man committing the vandalism.
The Volusia Sheriff's Office made the case public Tuesday and released an image of the unidentified suspect through its official social media channels. The agency has not named a suspect or announced an arrest.
Deputies Ask Public To Help Identify Suspect
Anyone who recognizes the man in the surveillance image is asked to contact the Volusia Sheriff's Office at 386-668-3830 or email [email protected], ClickOrlando reported. The investigation remains active.
The strange setting may make this sound like an oddball Florida headline, but the underlying case is a direct hit on a place of worship and a garden used for prayer. For St. Ann's parishioners, the statue's disappearance was discovered only after someone came to the garden and realized Mary was gone.
