You are reading

Police Arrest 23-Year-Old Woman for Smashing Statues Outside Forest Hills Church

Statues destroyed outside Our Lady of Mercy (Diocese of Brooklyn)

Sept. 13, 2021 By Allie Griffin

A 23-year-old woman is facing hate crime charges after she was arrested Friday for smashing two statues outside a Forest Hills Catholic Church in July.

Officers cuffed local resident Jacqueline Nikiena on charges of criminal mischief as a hate crime and aggravated harassment Friday.

Nikiena was caught on camera destroying two statues — one of the Blessed Mother and one of St. Therese the Little Flower — outside Our Lady of Mercy parish in the early morning hours on July 17, according to police.

Surveillance video shows her topple the statues — which have stood outside the church, located at 70-1 Kessel St., since it opened in the 1930s. She then dragged the statues into the street and repeatedly smashed them.

The statues, which were more than 80 years old, were left in pieces.

“Both of these statues have stood in front of the church since it was built [in 1937],” Father Frank Schwarz, the pastor of Our Lady of Mercy, said at the time. “It is heartbreaking, but sadly it is becoming more and more common these days.”

A GoFundMe launched to raise money to replace the statues has brought in more than $25,000.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

2 Comments

Click for Comments 
Sara Ross

I don’t want to hear that she’s had a psychiatric evaluation. I want her in jail for a hate crime. This city is full of despicable sub-humans, starting at the top in city hall.

10
Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Queens Together launches ‘Unofficial US Open Dining Guide’ encouraging fans to sample restaurants along the 7 line

Aug. 20, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

The US Open returns to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this Sunday, with more than 1 million attendees anticipated to take mass transit to the iconic annual tennis event. With hundreds of thousands of fans set to take the 7 out to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, there is a world of delicious local eateries lying beneath the elevated train tracks should any fan wish to stop en-route to the US Open.

Can Queens’ food scene thrive with both trucks and restaurants?

Aug. 19, 2025 By Jessica Militello

In Jackson Heights at 4 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, Roosevelt Avenue is buzzing with energy as commuters file in and out of subway cars and onto the street and cars and trucks grapple to get down the busy road. The street is filled with rows of shops and restaurants, along with food carts, street vendors and food trucks along the avenue. The almost-but-not-quite the weekend lag leaves hungry commuters faced with another choice to make throughout their day and the array of food truck options in busy areas like Jackson Heights offers customers convenience and delicious food without breaking the bank, two features that can feel vital, particularly with rising costs of living and pressure from inflation.