A man accused of stealing a $3,000 gold-plated rose from a church’s 9/11 memorial appeared in court on Saturday night, where he seemed to find the situation amusing despite the serious charges against him. Deikel Alcantara, 21, reportedly laughed and smiled as prosecutors detailed a series of crimes he allegedly committed in the past month.
The judge reprimanded Alcantara for his disrespectful behavior, pointing out that the charges against him were not a laughing matter. The accused was seen entering the Saint Francis of Assis church on West 31st Street by a security guard, who witnessed him taking the gold rose from the 9/11 memorial and fleeing the scene. The stolen rose has not yet been recovered.
In addition to the theft of the memorial rose, Alcantara has been involved in other criminal activities recently. Authorities claim that he attacked a senior citizen with a metal pipe on October 24, resulting in second-degree assault charges. He also faces another misdemeanor charge, although details of this offense are not available.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations against him, Alcantara continued to laugh and smile during the court proceedings. The judge expressed frustration at his demeanor, pointing out that the accused seemed to view the situation as a joke. Alcantara’s father turned him in to the police on Friday night, leading to his arrest.
Alcantara was ordered to be held on $75,000 bail and is facing one count of grand larceny for the theft of the rose. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday to face the charges against him. Police are still searching for the stolen gold-plated rose, which holds significant sentimental value to the church and its community.
