BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Several Boston-area churches have had property defaced with an "unknown red substance" in the last month, the Boston Police Department said.
The department is asking the public for any information they may have after at least three churches in Dorchester and Hyde Park were vandalized.
The first incident was found on March 11 at Most Precious Blood Church on Maple Street in Hyde Park, where a statue outside the church was sprayed with a red substance. A bench outside Saint Anne's on West Milton Street was also targeted with the substance.
Two days later, police said, a statue outside Saint Anne's was hit with the substance.
At this point, police were told of a strange incident witnessed by a parishioner at Most Precious Blood, when an unknown black woman entered the church at closing time and tried to spray something on the statues in the church.
She reportedly told the parishioner she was "just praying" when confronted, and left in a white sedan.
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The latest incident of vandalism with the red substance was found Wednesday evening, when a statue of the Virgin Mary outside Saint Gregory's Church in Dorchester was found defaced—reportedly for the fourth time in the past month.
Saint Gregory's is adjacent to Saint John Paul Academy School. WBZ NewsRadio's Carl Stevens spoke to a woman whose child attends that school.
"It's very disrespectful," she said. "This school is part of the community, so having something like that is very disrespectful."
Police are asking the public to contact the BPD Civil Rights Unit at 617-343-4527 with any information. They can also call their tip line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or text the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463) if they wish to remain anonymous.
(Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
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WBZ NewsRadio's Carl Stevens (@carlwbz) reports