A man burst into a Roman Catholic church in Brooklyn, where he damaged a handful of religious items before being taken into custody, officials said Saturday.
Keeonn Wilson, 33, is facing multiple counts of criminal mischief for his bizarre assault on St. Matthew Roman Catholic Church on Eastern Parkway near Utica Ave. in Crown Heights, cops said.
Wilson entered the church at around 11:20 a.m. Friday. Once inside, he damaged several religious items, including an incense holder and two candle holders, cops said.
Church staffers called police, who found Wilson at the scene and took him into custody without incident.
Wilson caused about $7,500 worth of damage before he was taken out of the church, police said. His arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court was pending Saturday.
Wilson lives in South Carolina. A motive for the vandalism was not immediately disclosed.
Friday’s church attack took place about a week after police announced their search for a man carrying a LGBTQ rainbow flag who vandalized three Queens churches in a 20-minute span, spray-painting graffiti calling them “anti-gay cults.”
Cops released surveillance footage of the suspect, who wore sunglasses and a rainbow handkerchief that covered his nose and mouth, and asked the public’s help identifying him and tracking him down.
The vandal hit the three churches, which are all within a few blocks of each other in Far Rockaway, in quick succession beginning at 1:40 a.m. on Oct. 5, cops said.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the Queens vandal is urged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
