'Homeless person' reported to police in Ohio turns out to be Jesus statue

The statue.
The statue. Photo credit: St Barnabas Bay Village/Twitter

A sculpture of Jesus lying on a park bench wrapped in a blanket was reported to police in Ohio on Thursday (local time) after somebody mistook it for a homeless person.

Police in the city of Bay Village told ABC 5 officers were called to the St Barnabas Church after reports of a homeless person lying on a bench, wrapped in a tarpaulin.

"Within 20 minutes of the statue arriving, I was having a conversation with a very kind police officer because someone called to report a homeless man sleeping on a park bench," church pastor Alex Martin said on Twitter.

He said the statue was installed to raise awareness about poverty in the area.

Bay Village police said it was an example of the many calls they receive. In a statement to ABC 5, the department said they were pleased with the positive interaction officers had with the church.

"The city of Bay Village hopes that this will bring attention to homelessness and encourage our community members to help those in need."