Authorities are seeking a man who allegedly stole a gold-plated metal rose from a 9/11 memorial within the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Midtown Manhattan. The incident occurred on Wednesday at approximately 2:30 p.m.
According to police reports, the suspect entered the church and removed the rose from the memorial, which honors victims of the September 11 attacks, including Father Mychal Judge, the FDNY chaplain who perished while ministering during the tragedy. Surveillance footage captured the individual holding the stolen item before fleeing the scene.
The NYPD is actively investigating the theft and urges anyone with information to contact the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).