Cambridge Police have released surveillance video and photos of a man they say entered St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church around 3:15 a.m. on Sept. 29, "initially put on priest clothing, later de-clothed and then committed a lewd act on the altar of the church."
Police say the man, in his 20s, entered through an unlocked door, but was captured on video by a new surveillance system the church had just had installed.
If he seems familiar, contact Cambridge Police at 617-349-9390.
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Comments
"I'll take 'Schizophrenic or
By Joe Blow
Tue, 10/13/2015 - 7:59pm
"I'll take 'Schizophrenic or Redditor?' for 500, Alex."
SICKO
By anon
Tue, 10/13/2015 - 7:59pm
He deserves eternal damnation, but facts are facts if he was alone in the church and committed a lewd act can he be charged with a sex crime?
God was watching
By BostonDog
Tue, 10/13/2015 - 8:24pm
.
I wonder
By perruptor
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 7:15am
If God was watching, what's the point of the surveillance system?
Eternal damnation....
By bosguy22
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 8:54am
So do we not need to punish him here on earth if he'll be stuck in fiery hell for all of eternity? Maybe Hitler and Jeff Dahlmer will gang up on him on his first day and really make life miserable for him.
If they just installed the
By bshep
Tue, 10/13/2015 - 8:22pm
If they just installed the surveillance system you have to wonder how many times in the past he's defiled the altar.
.. and now "defiled the altar
By bshep
Tue, 10/13/2015 - 8:24pm
.. and now "defiled the altar" has become my new go-to euphemism
The holy trinity
By Robert Paulson
Tue, 10/13/2015 - 9:15pm
So I step in and, uh, lay her crown upon my sweet head.
"Hello, Cambridge police.
By Kinopio
Tue, 10/13/2015 - 8:32pm
"Hello, Cambridge police. Someone put on a silly robe? At a place that doesn't pay taxes and therefore does not fund the police department? We'll put our best detectives on it!"
Double Standard?
By John Costello
Tue, 10/13/2015 - 8:41pm
if the report had been someone nailed a pig's head to the mosque on Prospect Street I doubt the posters here thus far would be so jovial.
This moron committed a hate crime pure and simple.
A hate crime ? More like he
By anon
Tue, 10/13/2015 - 11:44pm
A hate crime ? More like he is whacked out on drugs or drunk. Should be a B&E charge. As far as what he did in the church - if no one is there to witness it is it lewd? Not being a wise-ass just wondering.
One thing we can agree on....
By Jurr E Doodie
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 9:35am
is that the term "whacked out" applies, one way or another.
so, if someone came into your
By Patricia
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 9:50am
so, if someone came into your house and performed a lewd act on your couch without you knowing, you're OK with that?
Wow.
Not that this church had anything to do with it, but ...
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 10:13am
The Serbs know a thing or two about hate crimes. We don't have huge memorials to the Serbian "ethnic cleansing" of Bosnia-Herzegovina or Kosovo like we do for the Ottoman ethnic cleansing of Armenia, but give it 75 years.
Of course, none of this history makes this desecration right, but there could be a larger ethnic motive. Or the guy just might be nuts.
Serbian church
By Allstonian
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 3:51pm
I wondered about that myself. This incident happened not long after the church's big annual festival, which I've been to a couple of times. The first time I went, several years ago, I chose to sit out one set of dances because it featured a medley of songs whose lyrics all went (more or less) "Kosovo is the most beautiful place on the planet! Kosovo is 100% Serbian, always has been, always will be! Serbs rule, all those other people who live in Kosovo drool!"
Hate crime requires intent.
By bgl
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 12:12am
Hate crime requires intent. Perhaps he was mentally unstable, or got really drunk and was on the wrong end of one the priests back in the day, or maybe he was just a junkie high out of his mind and wandered into the open door and figured it was as good a place as any to rub one out and get some cool new clothes.
I see no equivalent to a pig
By Kinopio
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 9:14am
I see no equivalent to a pig head in this situation. Christians in this country just love to play the persecuted minority when they are anything but. See for the example the annual 2 month long complaint about the "war on christmas". Calling a guy putting on a robe a hate crime diminishes serious hate crimes where people are raped, murdered, etc.
You know you're providing fodder
By Waquiot
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 9:41am
By basically saying that the Cambridge Police Department shouldn't be expending resources on it. Costello's point is a good one. Would your reaction be the same if it were a synagogue or a mosque similarly defiled? Or if the guy did the same thing in your living room while you were sleeping?
I mean, you could have said nothing, but by saying the church should not have protections under the law, you've done so much more.
You know you are providing fodder
By Waquiot
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 11:00am
By saying that the Cambridge Police shouldn't do anything about this crime since it happened in a church. I mean, you could have said nothing, but rather you decided that churches do not deserve protection under the law. Costello has a good point. Are you saying that it would have been okay if this guy desecrated a mosque or a synagogue? Or if he did what he did in your living room?
No, Christians are not too oppressed in the United States, just like Asians are fairly successful in this country, but that doesn't mean that either group is fodder for ridicule when something bad happens.
EDIT- sorry for the posts that basically say the same thing. Something happened to the device when I hit "save" and I didn't think it posted.
This poster obviously doesn't
By Patricia
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 9:55am
This poster obviously doesn't see a church as a "home", which it is to many people.
I guess the poster doesn't want crimes on campus' investigated either, since they pay no taxes.
So folks are mocking non
By JeanneM
Tue, 10/13/2015 - 10:49pm
So folks are mocking non-Catholic churches now. I must say, that's a nice change of pace.
I guess people from out of town should get the same treatment
By tachometer
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 10:44am
"Hello, Cambridge police. Someone wearing a trench coat exposed themselves to you? You're visiting here from out of state so don't pay taxes and therefore do not fund this police department? We'll put our best detectives on it!"
I think churches should pay taxes but I think that the law should be changed to do that. Your saying that they should not be afforded police protection because they (legally) don't pay taxes is an asinine argument.
High Alter desecration
By Rev. William Yaeger
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 6:21pm
The Church members DO pay taxes. And the church staff members and direct operations of the church DO pay taxes. And the Church as an active Christian does and has for longer than anyone here alive has operated and generiously supported the community in a far greater extent and much more effectively on a person to person basis than if if did pay taxes.
Unless you are spirituallty disabled you would realize the enormity and depth of darkness and evil, not to mention the degree of contempt and lack of empathy to God and all the good people of the community of faith of Christ, if not all God-fearing men in this perverted if not satantic attack. This is not just a minor or insignificant property crime, it is a crime against the people who worship there. And a crime against the God of our Fathers, and I even though working in another parish, find it extermely distressing and one that negatively effects my life as well. I do find your lack of empathy as distressing as the striking and extraordinary darkness this man did. It carries from you the spirital flavor of "accessory after the fact".
Christ teaches us that all persons: rich or poor, the worldly powerful elites &VIPs or the powerless and those that dwell in the blindspots of the media, are all equal before our Father. For our public safety officials to do what you advocate is advocating justice and peace in accordance witn ones riches and income would represent the ultimate breakdown in the social contract and governance, because we lose the spirital and social harmony of the. ommunity whole. Only someone that thought they were "special" or entitled to be ahead if all others and a troll to boot would think this a good idea. I suggest a liitle more grace in your worldview would good thing to do.
Satanic Attack
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 9:50pm
Didn't they open for Gutter Helmet? Or was it the Cadaver Dogs?
Lets run with your concept
By anon
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 8:25pm
So you think that people who don't pay taxes and "fund the police" shouldn't get equal protection under the law? Interesting precedent.
If we're being honest....
By Whurlz
Tue, 10/13/2015 - 8:39pm
...I'm surprised this sort of thing doesn't happen more often.
Pray tell
By anon
Tue, 10/13/2015 - 9:40pm
why was a door unlocked?
That church...
By perruptor
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 7:17am
was asking for it.
In this imperfect world?
By anon
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 10:57am
Yes, they were asking for trouble. Commonsense is lacking here.
Churches used to be open 24/7
By Patricia
Wed, 10/14/2015 - 9:56am
Churches used to be open 24/7. It is only recently (in my lifetime) that doors needed to be locked due to thefts.
Many people I know, myself included, would stop by when I felt the urge to do so at any time of the day.
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