Early this morning, Verona resident Elliot Bennett walked into police headquarters with a hammer and stated that he had just smashed the statue of Jesus Christ outside Our Lady of the Lake Church.
The Verona Police Department said that officers recognized Bennett from previous vandalism at OLL. In 2018, he admitted to damaging several statues at the church.
VPD officers went to OLL and confirmed that the statue had indeed been damaged. Bennett was released pending a court date and the investigation has been turned over to the Essex County Prosectors Office.
