Thief Swipes Religious Artifacts From Harlem Church, Police Say

HARLEM, NY — The NYPD is trying to track down a thief who stole a number of religious artifacts from a Central Harlem church, police said.

A burglar broke into the Holy Cross African Orthodox Church, located on West 129th Street between Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. boulevards, by forcing open its front door on the night of Thursday, April 26, police said.

Once inside the church, the thief grabbed a gold staff, a challis, an 1890 bible, a gold Cross and a bronze memorial plaque before fleeing the scene, police said.

The NYPD has not identified any suspects in connection with the theft, police said.

Police released photos of the stolen items:

Lead photo by Google Maps street view. Photos of artifacts by NYPD.