Community on edge after suspect throws rock through church window in Chinatown

MIDTOWN (WABC) -- A man allegedly tossed a rock through a stained-glass window of a historic church in Manhattan's Chinatown.

Police have not called the vandalism at Transfiguration Church a hate crime.

But the congregation is very unsettled.

A few weeks ago, during Sunday mass, peace was shattered when a giant rock came blasting through the window and landed in the vestibule, not far from where someone was praying.

"She was actually standing about ten feet away from where the rock landed," Father Roger Kwan said.

Security cameras captured that suspect initially walk by the church then return minutes later with a rock in hand.

The suspect appears to wait for the busy street to empty out just enough for him to gain a clear runway to allegedly hurl the rock, smashing the window.

"They're very shocked. For a lot of our parishioners who are elderly, they already say that they feel unsafe in Chinatown, especially after Covid and the rise of random violence. So this is very alarming," Father Kwan said.

Because the church is a historical landmark, it could be 15,00 to 20,000 dollars to repair it.

Church leaders say safety has been an ongoing concern.

"Almost on a weekly basis there's a random person who will walk into the middle of the church and disrupt services. Usually we just kind of try to quietly usher them out. You can tell they're mentally disturbed. But this is the first time that someone has been actually very violent," Father Kwan said.

Police have made no arrests.