A Bayonne man was arrested yesterday for allegedly stealing a baby Jesus statue from a church nativity scene, police said.Â
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
James Auriemma, 54, of Bayonne, was charged with theft last night, according to Police Capt. Joseph Scerbo.
On January 10th, the Bayonne Police Department was told that a baby Jesus statue was removed from a nativity scene on the lawn of St. Vincent’s Churc,h located at 979 Avenue C, authorities said.
The church office manager provided the Bayonne Police Department with surveillance footage of the theft, officials said.
The video footage showed that at approximately 9:55 p.m. on January 8th, a white male with grey hair wearing white sneakers and dark colored pants walked over to the area where the statue was located, police said.
Additionally, it then shows the male picking up the baby Jesus statue, placing it in his
jacket and then walking away with the statue and his bicycle away towards Avenue C and West 46th Street, authorities said.
Subsequent investigation and review of the surveillance footage of the incident by
the Bayonne Police Detectives identified the male as Auriemma.
Then, on yesterday, at approximately 6:00 p.m., the police detectives arrested Auriemma at his residence and recovered the stolen baby Jesus statue, officials said.
Auriemma was additionally arrested on three outstanding warrants, two from Bayonne and one from Jersey City, and he was remanded to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
Furthermore, the baby Jesus statue was returned to St. Vincent’s Church at approximately
1:00 pm this afternoon.
