LI Man Arrested Months After Destruction Of Catholic Church Shrine
MASTIC BEACH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Long Island man has been arrested and accused of causing thousands of dollars in damages to a church shrine.
Darron Denninger, 25, was arrested in connection to the destruction of a candle shrine at St. Jude's Catholic Church, on Overlook Drive in Mastic Beach, according to Suffolk County Police Sgt. James Brierton.
The incident occurred in December 2015, right before Christmas, WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported.
According to Brierton, Denninger used a bird bath to break the glass doors of the shrine, causing more than $5,000 in damages.
"He also broke some votive candles that are in front of the statues and some skylights," Brierton said.
Brierton said the incident is not a hate crime or a bias crime, but would not comment further on Denninger's motives.
"He was not a practicing member of that church and he did not seem to have any animosity towards that church or Catholics in general," Brierton said.
He now faces criminal mischief charges.