Catholic statues toppled in Cherry Hill

Two Catholic statues of the Virgin Mary at separate churches were toppled and broken by vandals sometime Monday into Tuesday morning, according to Cherry Hill, N.J., police yesterday.

The damage included one 6-foot marble statue to break in half when it was pushed from its mount at Saint Thomas More Church on Springdale Road and the head to break off of the artwork at Queen of Heaven Church on Route 70, reports said.

“I would imagine that they’re very expensive and I don’t think you can put a dollar amount on the value they have for the people of that church,” Township Police Lt. Bill Kushina told Action News yesterday. He could not be reached later in the afternoon.

No arrests have been made or suspects identified yet. Police do believe the motive was likely vandalism and not a hate crime against Catholics, according to reports, but the investigation remains open.