Juan Velez, alleged St. Patrick’s Cathedral vandal, suspect in 2 other church attacks
The man suspected of tossing a wrench through a window at Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s residence at St. Patrick’s Cathedral was identified Wednesday by police, who also connected the alleged vandal to two other unholy attacks.
Juan Velez, 28, is wanted for chucking the tool that struck the door of Dolan’s house at the world-famous church around 12:25 p.m. Friday, the NYPD said.
The wrench broke the door’s glass panel before landing in a vestibule area that is separated from the main home by another door, cops said.
Velez may also be behind two other acts of church vandalism in Manhattan the following day, according to cops.
A man ripped a flag outside the All Saints Episcopal Church on East 60th Street and also damaged the wooden front doors before fleeing toward 2nd Avenue, police said.
Then that night, a suspect threw an unknown object at the Archdiocese of New York on First Avenue, damaging the outer glass door before he picked up the object and fled the scene around 10 p.m., police said.
All three churches were within roughly a mile or less of each other.
No injuries were reported in either of the two additional incidents police revealed Wednesday.
The probe is ongoing by the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force.
The NYPD said Velez is Hispanic with light complexion who is 5-feet-10 with brown hair and brown eyes. His last known address is a homeless shelter, police said.
