Current:Home > NewsA vandal badly damaged a statue outside a St. Louis cathedral, police say-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
A vandal badly damaged a statue outside a St. Louis cathedral, police say
View Date:2024-12-23 19:10:26
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A man used construction equipment to drop a heavy boom lift onto a sculpture that has stood for 25 years outside St. Louis’ Cathedral Basilica, badly damaging it, police said.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the Angel of Harmony, which stood 14 feet (4.3 meters) tall and depicts a Black angel protecting three children of various races, could be saved. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that part of one of the children was broken off and the angel’s wings appeared to be damaged.
The motive for Tuesday night’s vandalism was unknown, said police, who arrested a 35-year-old suspect.
The Angel of Harmony, created by Polish sculptor Wiktor Szostalo, was installed in 1999, months after Pope John Paul II’s visit to St. Louis. The angel’s wings include more than 100 wind chimes and the children are playing instruments. The pedestal is inscribed with quotes from the New Testament, Pope John Paul II and Martin Luther King Jr.
“The Angel of Harmony has graced the grounds of our city’s Cathedral Basilica since 1999, as a joyful reminder that our diversity is something to be celebrated, that truth, beauty and goodness unite us all,” St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski said in a statement. “We need to be reminded of that daily. We are still learning about the extent of the damage, with great hope that this special sculpture can be restored.”
Police arrived at the ornate Catholic cathedral in St. Louis’ Central West End neighborhood after a caller reported that a man was tampering with construction equipment. The statue had been knocked off its pedestal. Police said the suspect also apparently fired a gunshot into an unoccupied car. It was not clear why.
Surveillance video helped point officers to the man. Officers spotted the him, but he ran off. A police dog helped find the suspect hiding a few blocks from the cathedral.
veryGood! (4)
Related
- Report: Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence could miss rest of season with shoulder injury
- Beijing Olympic organizers are touting a green Games. The reality is much different
- Rare twin panda babies welcomed at South Korea amusement park
- Gunman in New Zealand kills 2 people ahead of Women's World Cup
- Fantasy football waiver wire: 10 players to add for NFL Week 11
- Russia suspends Black Sea Grain Initiative with Ukraine, says it will return when deal is implemented fully
- Millie Bobby Brown's Stranger Things Family Reacts to Jake Bongiovi Engagement
- This school wasn't built for the new climate reality. Yours may not be either
- Anti-abortion advocates press Trump for more restrictions as abortion pill sales spike
- Arctic and Antarctic might see radio blackouts that could last for days as cannibal CME erupts from sun
Ranking
- Diddy's ex-bodyguard sues rape accuser for defamation over claims of 2001 assault
- Climate change fueled extreme rainfall during the record 2020 hurricane season
- Green Book Actor Frank Vallelonga Jr.’s Cause of Death Revealed
- TikToker Dylan Mulvaney Speaks Out Amid Criticism of Her Brand Partnerships
- Craig Melvin replacing Hoda Kotb as 'Today' show co-anchor with Savannah Guthrie
- Love Is Blind’s Marshall Reveals He Dated This Castmate After the Show
- Can Skiing Survive Climate Change?
- Record-breaking heat, flooding, wildfires and monsoons are slamming the world. Experts say it's only begun.
Recommendation
-
New York races to revive Manhattan tolls intended to fight traffic before Trump can block them
-
Ukraine is advancing, but people in front-line villages are still just hoping to survive Russia's war
-
Proof Tristan Thompson Is on Good Terms With This Member of the Kardashian Clan
-
Biden's climate agenda is stalled in Congress. In Hawaii, one key part is going ahead
-
Judge weighs the merits of a lawsuit alleging ‘Real Housewives’ creators abused a cast member
-
Cyber risks add to climate threat, World Economic Forum warns
-
American Chris Eubanks stuns in Wimbledon debut, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach quarter finals
-
To get by in a changing climate, plants need animal poop to carry them to safety