Thieves replace stolen baby Jesus statue with pig's head

oge okonkwo

December 27, 2014 10:43 PM

The police are currently investigating the horrible act as a possible hate crime

Some vandals have replaced a baby Jesus statue in a Nativity scene display in front of a church in Haverhill, Massachusetts, with a bloody pig's head early Christmas morning.

The police are currently investigating the horrible act as a possible hate crime.

According to reports, the statue was stolen from the Sacred Hearts Church in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

A good Samaritan finally removed the pig's head to replace the stolen statue with one from her own display, making the Nativity scene complete again.

"I can't change the world, but I can change my city," Brenda Burns, who donated the replacement baby Jesus statue, told CBS Boston. "I'm bringing this, and I'm asking everybody to do the same. Make a statement. You don't have to come here and hold a sign to be destructive. Just come to let everybody who drives by know. Not here. Not my city."

At a press conference on Friday, police said the pig used was "freshly decapitated" and not the kind "usually sold at a butcher shop" because "hair" was found on it.

Parishioners at Sacred Hearts expressed disbelief that such an incident occurred.

"I'm thoroughly appalled. I feel terrible about that. It's very, very sad. I can't believe anybody would do that," one parishioner told WBZ NewsRadio 1030.

"I can't understand why someone would do such a thing. All we can do is pray for them," another parishioner talking about the vandals told CBS.

oge okonkwo