During a service this past Sunday in Mineola’s Corpus Christi Church, a man yelled, caused a disturbance and broke multiple statues, according to Nassau County police.
Police said the man threw two altar statues to the ground, causing $10,000 in damages to statues of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary when asked to leave, after initially causing a disturbance by yelling.
Aldo Hernandez, a 26-year-old from Mineola, was arrested after the incident on Sunday and charged with criminal mischief. The incident occurred during a 5 p.m. Spanish-language mass in the church on Garfield Avenue, according to Nassau County police.
When a religious procession was about to begin, Hernadez allegedly stood in front of the congregation, started yelling and became irate, according to a felony report from the Nassau County District Attorney’s office. When multiple people asked him to leave, he allegedly forcibly threw two statues to the ground, breaking pieces off of each.
Police arrived shortly after and arrested him. No injuries were reported.
Nicole Turso, a spokesperson for the Nassau County District Attorney’s office, said Hernandez was released after his arraignment in the First District Court of Hempstead.
Turso said he is being electronically monitored and that the district attorney’s office issued an order of protection for the church and ordered a mental health evaluation for Hernandez.
Corpus Christi Church declined to comment and referred comment requests to police.
Hernandez’s case remains in progress. He was represented by the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County on Monday.
No clear motives are known at this time.
