Man hit with hate crime charge after vandalizing St. Patrick’s Cathedral, two other religious sites
![](https://i2.wp.com/www.nydailynews.com/resizer/jAQldaIITIRSjZ6JcUxfA4g7QrA=/1200x630/filters:format(jpg):quality(70):focal(1178x610:1188x620)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/HE2D5EWHFNDNJCQX7GMCQG2ZCY.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1)
The man who threw a wrench at Timothy Cardinal Dolan’s residence behind St. Patrick’s Cathedral has been arrested, police said.
Juan Velez, 28, was taken into custody Wednesday and charged with criminal mischief as a hate crime and criminal mischief for the Oct. 28 incident, as well as two other hate crimes targeting religious sites, cops said.
![Juan Velez, 28, who is wanted for St Pat’s vandalism, two other instances of criminal mischief as a hate crime.](https://www.nydailynews.com/resizer/TUfL9Z_U4jCtpq_4zNgYaVHDqkc=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/HE2D5EWHFNDNJCQX7GMCQG2ZCY.jpg)
Velez is accused of walking up to the cardinal’s home on E. 50th St. near Fifth Ave. around 12:25 p.m and hurling a wrench toward the front door, according to police.
The next day, he tried to rip a flag down and damage the front doors of All Saints Episcopal Church on E. 60th St. near Second Ave. on the Upper East Side at around 11 a.m., cops said.
![A surveillance image of the man who chucked a wrench at a door to Timothy Cardinal Dolan’s residence behind St. Patrick’s Cathedral during a daring daylight act of aggression. The vandal, wearing a blue vest and a baseball cap, approached the front of the cardinal’s home on E. 50th St. near Fifth Ave. about 12:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. After looking around for witnesses, he reached into his pocket and lobbed the wrench at the front door before casually walking off.](https://www.nydailynews.com/resizer/7BM7uZSQH4ppgi3RsZVUOE_SID8=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/WLXUEFIE7FACZAP56TL345TNGI.jpg)
Later that night, he damaged another door at the Archdiocese of New York on First Ave. near E. 55th St. in Midtown East around 9:50 p.m., police said.
Velez’s last known address was a homeless shelter in Kips Bay.
![A vandal threw a wrench through a door window at the cardinal’s residence behind St. Patrick’s Cathedral Friday afternoon, police said.](https://www.nydailynews.com/resizer/VzkJLAP5K-S3KWbTp9T33VdZQGo=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/SLONMI5ZXVC3VPJOB5GMPSFCRI.jpg)
His arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court was pending Wednesday afternoon.
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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.