The blackened, fire damaged grotto and Virgin Mary statue outside St. Petersburg Catholic High School.
St. Petersburg, Florida -- Police are searching for the people responsible for setting fire to a stone grotto, destroying a statue of the Virgin Mary within it.
The grotto was located at St. Pete Catholic High School, just feet from the sidewalk at 63rd Street. It is believe it was doused in some kind of flammable liquid and ignited Sunday night, severely damaging the statue and everything inside the grotto.
School officials suspect teenagers, as candy wrappers were found strewn around the statue.
According to SPCHS, the grotto was built in the early 1950s with money raised by girls who attended Notre Dame Academy in St. Petersburg. When the old Notre Dame building was demolished, the grotto was carefully moved to the front of SPCHS.
Anyone with information is asked to call Officer Hasson with the St. Petersburg Police Department at 893-7780.