A service at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church on Barclay St. in the Financial District was disrupted when a man walked in, spat on the altar, and then proceeded to pepper-spray a 70-year-old congregant who tried to stop the attacker, as reported by police this past Wednesday.
The incident took place on December 17th, 2023. No arrests have been made yet, and police are still searching for the assailant.
An afternoon Sunday mass service had just begun when the man, who was last seen wearing a blue baseball cap with a red bill, a blue jacket, and khaki pants, walked to the front of the church and spat directly on the altar.
As the assailant turned to leave, the unnamed congregant attempted to stop him but the suspect pulled out a pepper-spray can and sprayed him right in the face, police reported.
The congregant suffered a minor injury but refused medical attention, authorities stated. The church has not yet addressed the incident.
St. Peter’s Church, which is a federal landmark, was originally founded in 1785, and the current building’s Greek revival architecture goes back to 1834.
After 9/11, the church became a place of solace for many rescue and frontline workers who were working down at Ground Zero and needed a hot meal in between their shifts.
The pepper-spray attacker was last seen running east on Barclay St.
On Wednesday, police released a photo of the suspect in hopes of locating him as quickly as possible.
Anyone with any information regarding his whereabouts is urged to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls made are kept confidential if requested.
