NEW YORK – The Consulate General of Greece in New York was vandalized on the night of August 8, when an unknown man threw a heavy object and caused damage to the main entrance of the building.

Consul of Greece in New York Lana Zochiou told The National Herald that the incident happened at 8:30 PM. The perpetrator, in addition to the Consulate General of Greece, allegedly attempted to cause similar damage at the Consulate General of Italy, as well as threatening pedestrians.

However, his actions did not go unnoticed, and he was arrested relatively soon, as the Police located him about an hour after the incident at the Consulate General.

"According to what the police told us, this man probably has mental health problems and is known to the authorities," said Zochiou.

Despite the fact that the incident took place just as serious tensions have risen in the Aegean, it is likely that the incident is not linked to the manifestation of any hostile behavior against Greece, and is most likely a random act by a troubled individual.

"We have no further indication of his motives or nationality. All I learned was that he had a heavy accent and nothing else. In general, however, as I told you, we are talking about a troubled person,” Zochiou said, adding that the damage to the main entrance is expected to be repaired within days.

It should be noted that the Consulate General has previously been a target of random individuals without any deeper motivation than causing mischief, as was the case of a homeless man, in 2018, who had removed the Greek flag on display in front of the building.