Police are searching for a man — possibly a KISS-masked man — who defaced two religious statues outside a Williamsburg church to make them resemble 1970s rockers Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
Detectives are trying to track down the person who scribbled KISS makeup on a sculpture of the Madonna and child and knocked over another figurine at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on overnight on Tuesday — and they are working off of one major clue.
“We are looking for a KISS fan,” said Deputy Inspector Terence Hurson, the comanding officer of the 94th Precinct.
Other than the culprit’s familiarity with KISS, Hurson said his cops have no leads.
Pastor Joseph Calise told The Brooklyn Paper yesterday that many people have offered to pay for the repairs, and referred all questions to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn.
The vandalism outraged parishioners and community leaders, including Assemblyman Joe Lentol (D–Williamsburg), who regularly worships at the Havemeyer Street church and described the destruction of sacred property as “malicious mischief.”
Councilman and sometimes bassist Steve Levin (D–Williamsburg) acknowledged that he prays at the temple of rock and roll, but said he could not condone defiling any house of worship.
“I have no kind words for whoever did this — they are in very serious trouble if they get caught,” said Levin. “They do a real disservice to rock and roll.”
A spokesperson for Simmons, the KISS bassist, did not return calls for comment. Before he donned his KISS makeup, the rocker attended Jewish religious school in Williamsburg at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas, which later moved to Kensington.
