Local Jesus sculpture vandalized, head missing

Holly V. Hays, holly.hays@indystar.com
A decapitated statue of Jesus Christ outside of Cottage Avenue Pentecostal Fellowship in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood, Indianapolis, seen Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017. The statue was beheaded once and repaired, but when the perpetrators struck again, they took the head with them.

An Indianapolis pastor says his congregation is praying for the person or people that vandalized a statue of Jesus Christ outside a south-side church.

Pastor Brad Flaskamp of Cottage Avenue Pentecostal Fellowship said members of the church have now twice reported vandalism done to the statue. In the first instance, Flaskamp said, someone knocked the head off of the statue and left it nearby. The second time, the head was missing completely and likely stolen.

While the church, located at 840 Cottage Ave., has been in the community since 1899, the sculpture has been up at the church about four years, he said. The woman who gave the sculpture to the church made repairs to the statue after the first incident. She cemented the head back on Saturday and was planning to repaint the statue Sunday before the second incident.

Flaskamp said some of the children that attend church with relatives or grandparents seem to be heartbroken over the vandalism.

“To them, that’s a symbol that Jesus is always around,” he said.

The statue of Jesus Christ that sits outside the Cottage Avenue Pentecostal Fellowship on the city's south side has twice been decapitated this month. It is shown here after it was decapitated around Feb. 10 and recently repaired. It has since been decapitated again and the head stolen.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police are investigating the incident and have reported it to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to IMPD Sgt. Kendale Adams. Police have not specified whether the vandalism fits the FBI’s definition of a hate crime.

Flaskamp said he’s not sure if it’s a hate crime. He said it’s likely someone who has ill feelings about God or maybe just someone that doesn’t like the statue for one reason or another.

“Whatever they’re doing, they ain’t hurting God at all,” he said. “All it does is just make us more persistent. We’re just gonna rebuild it.”

Currently, investigators have no leads. Adams said anyone with possible information regarding the incident should contact police.

Flaskamp said he and other members of the congregation are praying God changes the heart of whoever committed the crime.

“We’re praying for you,” he said. “If you’d like to bring it back, we’d gladly accept the head back, and we’d accept you as well.”

Call IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at (317) 444-6156. Follow her on Twitter: @hollyvhays.