The metal flower had served as the centerpiece of a memorial at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, whose long-time pastor, Father Mychal Judge, was crushed by falling rubble while praying for victims and rescuers on the morning of the attack.

The heartless crook accused of stealing a gold-plated rose from a 9/11 memorial at a Midtown Catholic church was arrested Friday for the unholy crime, according to the NYPD. Deikel Alcantara, 21, was turned over to police by his father and charged with grand larceny for allegedly pilfering a $3,

Cops released surveillance footage of the suspect running off clutching the rose in hopes of generating tips from the public.