ST. LOUIS — A man using construction equipment dropped a heavy boom lift onto a sculpture that has stood in front of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis for 25 years, severely damaging the sculpture, police said.
It was not immediately clear whether the Angel of Harmony, which stood 14 feet (4.3 meters) tall and depicted a black angel protecting three children of different races, could be saved. St. Louis Post-Shipping reported that part of one of the children had been broken off and that the angel’s wings appeared to be damaged.
The motive for Tuesday night’s vandalism is unknown, according to police, who arrested a 35-year-old suspect.
The Angel of Harmony, created by Polish sculptor Wiktor Szostalo, was installed in 1999, months after Pope John Paul II visited St. Louis. The angel’s wings hold more than 100 wind chimes, and the children play instruments. The pedestal is engraved with quotes from the New Testament, Pope John Paul II and Martin Luther King Jr.
“The Angel of Harmony has graced the grounds of our city’s Cathedral Basilica since 1999, as a joyful reminder that our diversity is something to be celebrated, that truth, beauty and goodness unite us all,” St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski said in a statement. “We need to be reminded of that daily. We are still learning about the extent of the damage, with great hope that this special statue can be restored.”
Police arrived at the ornate Catholic cathedral in St. Louis’ Central West End after a caller reported a man manipulating construction equipment. The statue had fallen from its pedestal. Police said the suspect also fired shots at an empty car. It’s not clear why.
Surveillance footage helped officers find the man. Officers saw him, but he ran away. A police dog helped find the suspect who was hiding a few blocks from the cathedral.
The man was charged on Wednesday with institutional vandalism, two counts of destruction of property, tampering, unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest.