Statue of the Virgin Mary Vandalized at Saint Monica's Catholic Church in Santa Monica

The statue of the Virgin Mary that stands at the corner of 7th Street and California Avenue was vandalized early Friday morning. Someone tagged the statute with yellow paint, possibly between 1 and 5 am, police said.

This is in a week when the priest sex abuse allegations have caused church officials to apologize, but it is not clear if the vandals were so motivated. Church employees cleaned off the statue that same day, August 17 2018.

The statue was been a target of vandals before. Santa Monica Police investigated as a hate crime after officials with St. Monica Catholic Church discovered a statue of the Virgin Mary beheaded shortly before Easter services, reported the CBS News in July 2009.

A priest found the 55-year-old marble statue, which stands on the corner of Seventh Street and California Avenue, decapitated around 5:45 a.m. on Sunday, spotting the head on the ground just a few feet away. The top of the statue was covered with a white plastic bag before service began.

There is also a school adjacent to the cathedral. The congregation includes many prominent figures in Hollywood, media, and local government, including for example, Arnold and Maria Schwarzeneggar and their children and grandchildren.