St. Pat’s Vandal Proves Manhattan D.A. Bragg and the left don’t care about public safety

Juan Velez has just been arrested for another alleged act of vandalism: violent stone-throwing at a Lutheran church in Queens.

This after in November, he was released under supervision after six months of vandalism, culminating in his throwing a wrench through the window of the cardinal’s residence at St. Patrick’s. Cathedral and also saw him drop a glass bottle over the second floor railing in the stores on Columbus Circle while innocent people were walking downstairs.

In all, he was charged in 15 separate incidents, each characterized by a callous indifference to private property (and any collateral damage to the individual). But thanks to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin “Let ‘Em Out” Bragg and our state’s crazy bail laws, Velez walked – only to do it again.

And the fun of 2022 wasn’t his first run-in with the law for his love of destruction. But Vélez’s previous alleged crimes were dismissed in a mental health court, and he also went unpunished (with the exception of a few counseling sessions) for them.

It’s more than clear that he will continue to do so unless he is jailed or hospitalized for serious mental illness treatment, but he ends up literally having to hurt or kill someone before he really gets into trouble. with any real consequences.

The latest incident is being investigated as a hate crime. Good: Maybe that will make the DA take it seriously. But why didn’t that play a role in the prosecution of his St. Pats attack? And why ignore the obvious fact that Veles is a hardened recidivist with no remorse for the harm he causes (15 seizures six months later)?

Random violent vandalism, including against churches that serve as community anchors, undermines public trust like nothing else.

Veles is not a victim of systemic forces; his ugly deeds are not crimes of poverty. He is a threat, pure and simple. And the way our civil servants wink at his crimes shows how little they care about the safety of citizens.