Three teenagers recently destroyed the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church's angel statue in Fresh Meadows. The incident was caught on the CCTV camera of the church.
Act of Vandalism of the Three Teenagers
On Thursday, Mar. 23, at about 10 p.m., a group of teenagers can be seen on a surveillance video standing in the back of the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church at 175-20 74th Avenue in Fresh Meadows. The New York Post reported that two teenagers reached a fenced-in area and lifted the concrete angel. They stepped away a few feet and then smashed the statue on the sidewalk, where it shattered into multiple pieces. After that, the trio, thought to be between the ages of 15 and 17, took off on foot.
Moreover, the worth of the statue was believed to be around $500. Investigations are being conducted by the NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force. According to the Daily News, at the Sunday service at Holy Family Church in Hillcrest, Pastor Sean Suckiel shared the shocking news with the congregation. "We found it Friday morning in pieces on the floor. The good thing is it happened right in front of our security cameras. We were able to get it all on video."
One of the other teenagers was filming their act of vandalism. They believe it is associated with a challenge on TikTok. As mentioned, the act of vandalizing schools and school facilities has become increasingly common in response to a challenge that has been going on in social media.
Pastor Suckiel informed the people in his congregation that it was an attack on them since the donations had been used to purchase everything in the church and come from people's money due to their generosity. In addition, the pastor gave his word that law enforcement would be on Palm Sunday and during the rest of the holy week. They have promised to locate these children and hold them accountable for their actions.
Alarming 'Devious Licks' TikTok Challenge on Students
A report from The Washington Post stated that students had been known to steal from or vandalize property at their schools to complete a TikTok challenge that has gone viral. After completing the challenge, the students uploaded videos of themselves performing 'devious licks' on the popular social media platform, often. At the same time, a sped-up version of the song "Ski Ski BasedGod" by rapper Lil' B plays in the background.
Accordingly, restroom mirrors have been cracked, and toilets have been inundated in the Canyons School District in a Salt Lake City suburb. The school's spokesperson, Jeffrey P. Haney, said, "In two school years unlike any other, this is absolutely the last thing we need to be dealing with." TikTok announced on Sept. 15, 2021, that it will remove videos linked with the trend and redirect related hashtags after reports of schools from California to Connecticut experiencing vandalism and theft due to the 'devious licks challenge.' The challenge has already been condemned by already-stressed school leaders, leading to a handful of arrests.
In addition, several news outlets from different parts of the country state that the pranks come with a hefty price tag: one school in the San Antonio region posted photographs of broken mirrors and dislodged soap dispensers in the bathroom. Another school in Southern California reported that paper towel dispensers and fire alarms had been stolen. The principal of a high school in eastern Michigan said that the tendency had progressed beyond stealing trophies to gain social media clout and had evolved into "malicious vandalism," such as purposely clogging toilets.
Related Article: US Bishops Ask For Prayer To Resist Church Vandalism, Abortion On Religious Freedom Week
