JOHNSTON, R.I.—Police are calling the vandalism of a statue of Jesus outside a church a hate crime.

According to the Providence Journal, hate crimes carry heavier penalties and fines and may involve the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Rhode Island law defines a hate crime as "any crime motivated by bigotry and bias, including but not limited to threatened, attempted or completed acts that appear after investigation to have been motivated by racial, religious, ethnic, sexual orientation, gender or disability prejudice."

"There's no question it's a willful and malicious act," said police Chief Richard Tamburini.

In mid-March a vandal coated the statue of the Good Shepherd with black spray paint and blotted out a pro-life prayer on its pedestal that reads, "Please pray for an end to abortion." The vandal also scrawled "anti-choice Nazis" along a band of stones bordering the figure outside Our Lady of Grace Church.

"This is not a child's prank," Tamburini said. "We'll do everything we can to prevent this from happening again. We're not letting this just disappear."

Our Lady of Grace appears to be the only Catholic church of four in town that displays an anti-abortion message in front of its main entrance.

The chief said each violation carries a fine of up to $10,000 and five years in jail.