Lindenhurst man charged in thefts from Manorville shrine donation box

Cash meant for a Manorville shrine was allegedly taken after someone cut the locks on outdoor donation boxes, turning a place of prayer into the focus of a Suffolk County theft case that spanned several nights. Suffolk County Police said the suspected thefts at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Island on Eastport Manor Road were not isolated, but happened on various nights from March 29 through April 19.

Police arrested Piotr Nerkowski, 49, of 87 Palm Street in Lindenhurst, at 10:26 a.m. June 10 inside CVS Pharmacy at 20 East Montauk Highway in Lindenhurst. He was charged with grand larceny in the third degree, attempted grand larceny in the fourth degree, resisting arrest and two counts of criminal mischief in the fourth degree, and was held overnight at the Third Precinct pending arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip on June 11.

Detectives from the Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit handled the investigation with assistance from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Police had previously issued a public appeal for help identifying the suspect, and investigators said the thefts involved outdoor donation boxes at the shrine, where the alleged burglaries were made possible by cut locks rather than forced entry into a building.

The Shrine of Our Lady of the Island, at 258 Eastport Manor Road in Manorville, is a long-established Catholic pilgrimage site founded by the Missionaries of the Company of Mary, also known as the Montfort Fathers. Its history says the shrine was built on land donated in 1953 by the Vigliotta family and expanded with additional land gifted in 1957 by the Harrison family, creating a place used for Marian devotion, prayer, retreats and outdoor worship.

The case fits a broader Suffolk pattern in which donated goods and charity collections have drawn criminal attention. In October 2025, the district attorney’s office announced 16 defendants were charged in a major theft scheme involving donated clothing across Suffolk County, underscoring how vulnerable voluntary giving can be when cash or goods are left in accessible containers. For faith communities that rely on honor-system contributions, the Manorville arrest is a reminder that even small donation boxes can become targets when outdoor security is weak.