DEBARY, Fla. — Volusia County deputies have arrested a DeBary man accused of vandalizing a Catholic church and destroying a religious statue.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 53-year-old John Mattern of DeBary.
He is charged with criminal mischief at a place of worship, a third-degree felony.
According to investigators, the vandalism happened July 23 at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in DeBary.
After Sunday evening Mass, a parishioner noticed the Virgin Mary statue in the church’s prayer garden was missing.
Church staff later discovered the statue had been ripped from its pedestal and thrown into nearby woods.
The Sheriff’s Office said surveillance video captured the suspect during the incident.
Investigators later identified Mattern, thanking members of the public who shared information and helped identify him after the agency released images from the investigation.
The case remains under investigation.
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