New York cab driver decapitates baby Jesus statue with his own shoe in bizarre tantrum caught on camera

A taxi driver decapitated a statue of baby Jesus with his shoe outside a New York church in a blasphemous outburst caught on camera that is being investigated as a hate crime.

A sacrilegious thug driving an SUV taxi pulled up outside Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Flushing around 5:30 a.m. Sunday and calmly crossed the street — before removing a shoe and charging toward the white marble statues of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, according to police and footage released by the Brooklyn Diocese.

The taxi driver hit Mary and Joseph on the head with his shoe, then turned his attention to Jesus and hit his head until it spun around and fell to the ground, as seen in the video.

The suspect is then seen walking away calmly, his shoe gun still in his hand.

“This is a very disturbing incident, and those who attended Mass yesterday were shocked and horrified to learn that this happened,” said Father Sean Suckiel, the parish priest.

“The Holy Family is the foundation of our religious community, and this statue has special meaning for many people in our parish,” he added.

According to the Diocese of Brooklyn, the statue had been outside the church for 42 years and the damage caused Sunday will cost $20,000 to repair.

The statues of Mary and Joseph escaped unscathed despite the blows they received.

Striking someone with the bottom of a shoe is considered a serious insult in the Middle East, although it is unclear whether that was the suspect’s intention or whether the shoe was simply a tool he had at hand.

“We must pray for an increase in religious tolerance throughout our city,” Father Suckiel said.