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A man identified as Michael Patzelt was recently arrested as he vandalized the crucifixion statue of Jesus hanging outside Boston Cathedral. Soon after this, several serious charges were leveled against Patzelt. Other than this, Michael was arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on Wednesday, October 25, being ordered held on $5,000 bail.
There is also a condition that he must stay away from all the witnesses in this case. It is worth noting that several charges have also been leveled against him, including malicious destruction of property, assault and battery, and injury to a church/synagogue over $5,000.
Paul Deeley, whose family donated funds to refurbish the crucifix two years ago and have it placed outside the church, talked about the vandalism and said,
"I'm saddened about hearing the destruction this morning so I came over to see what the extent of it was."
This incident is not the first time Patzelt has been named in the vandalism case. As evidenced by reports, he has a long list of cases of vandalism and assault in Massachusetts and Florida.
Michael Patzelt was brought down to the ground before the police arrived at the incident spot
The witnesses spoke about the incident and revealed that they had to step in and pull Patzelt to the ground before the police arrived at the scene. Moreover, Michael has also been charged with attacking a woman who was walking in front of the Cathedral.
The woman who was being followed and attacked by Michael Patzelt talked about this incident with the New York Post and said,
"He decided to come toward me. I pushed him four times to get him away and he grabbed my hair and hat and threw it. He tried to have a conversation to the effect ‘Just shoot me.’ I don’t know if he said it to me or my child."
It is worth noting that the woman was fortunate to escape from the altercation with Patzelt. However, hours later, she learned about the vandalism caused by the man who attacked her.
Judge Paul Treseler was shocked after coming across the charges against the man and said that the crime was "an issue of a depraved heart or a very sick mind."
The defense said that Michael Patzelt's grandmother recently passed away, and he is homeless and unemployed. Defense attorney Joana Stathi further said,
"He is remorseful about what occurred and the fact he has found himself in this position."
Michael Patzelt is expected to appear in court on November 30, 2023. Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden also said that people now live in a society where they are free to choose their religion. Still, it is not right to destroy anything that is precious to several faiths in society.
In related news, the repairs to the crucifix were made on Wednesday, October 25, 2023.
