Weekly Church Crime News 11/28/2022

(November 24) I Was At The Church To Steal – Man, 46, Caught With Lady's Bag Tells Police

A 46-year old man, Henry Chimezie, who went to a church in Lagos, pretended to be a worshipper and then stole a bag containing mobile phone belonging to a woman, has confessed to the Police that he actually went to the church to steal and not for prayers. 

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspect, Chimezie, went to Zion Prayer Movement Outreach Ministry at Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, during a Church programme, joined the service and pretended to be one of the worshippers.

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(November 24) Pastor Attacked With Hammer During Church Service In North Baltimore

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — A man attacked a pastor with a hammer Sunday morning during a church service in North Baltimore, police said. Police and witnesses said around 10 a.m. Sunday, the 55-year-old man attacked the pastor of the Church of the Redeemer in the 4300 block of Old York Road.

The victim, a 78-year-old man, suffered a minor cut to the ear, police said.

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(November 24) Suspect Arrested In Repeated Hate Crime Vandalism Of Delano Church

DELANO, Calif. (KBAK/FOX58) — Delano police have arrested a suspect they believe vandalized a local church three times. They said 33-year-old Kyle Lewis Sison is accused of painting racial slurs on the New Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Delano.

Security camera footage caught him spray painting the church last Saturday morning. Similar spray painting happened in late July and late August.

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(November 23) Man Charged With Setting Fire To Montgomery County Church

RALEIGH — North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced the arrest of an Eagle Springs man in the burning of a Montgomery County church that occurred Saturday night.

Shane Deante Jones, 24, of 125 McCoy Lane, Eagle Springs, was arrested by special agents with the Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division and charged with breaking and entering of a place of worship, burning a church or religious building and burning personal property, all felonies.

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(November 22) Man Wanted For Stealing Over $20K From Safe At Mt. Airy Church

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The pastor of a historic Philadelphia church Tuesday made a public plea to the still-unidentified person who stole over $20,000 from the church's safe earlier this month.

"I'm not interested in you going to jail, I'm interested in you getting another chance as the God we serve does for so many of us," said Rev. Dr. Alyn Waller, senior pastor at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church.

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(November 21) A Burglar Is Arrested And Charged After Being Caught In A Church

A burglar, who was caught inside a church stealing, pretended to be using the bathroom to stave off attention that he had already drawn to himself after prying open the back door to the church. Tonight, twenty-five-year-old Evander Usher is spending his first night in jail and, unless he can convince a Supreme Court judge to grant him bail, will remain there until January twenty-fourth, 2023 when his next court date comes up.

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(November 21) Charlotte-Area Ahurch Youth Leader Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Multiple Teenage Boys: CMPD

CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – A soccer coach and youth leader connected to several Charlotte-area churches has been arrested for sexually assaulting at least three teenage boys, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police announced on Friday. 

Benjamin Damron, 36, has been charged with one count of sexual battery and nine counts of indecent liberties with a child.

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(November 20) Gunmen Attack Enugu Catholic Church, Abduct Priest

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have attacked St. Jude’s Catholic Church, Eburummiri community, Ibagwa-Aka in Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu and abducted the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Victor Ishiwu.

The incident, which happened on Saturday morning during the priest’s weekend all -night adoration with worshippers, saw the assailants, storm the church and shot continuously into the the air.

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(November 18) ‘House Of Lies.’ Minister Convicted Of Defrauding Charlotte Church, Others Of $800,000

Michael Baldwin may soon be moving on: from “Miracle Mansion” to a prison cell. On Thursday night, a federal jury in Charlotte convicted the Virginia pastor and would-be developer of bilking investors out of more than $800,000 that ostensibly was to help Baldwin build a high-end, family-entertainment venue with a “Biblical worldview” near Washington, D.C.

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(November 18) Wilmington Man Facing Charges After Crashing Into Church

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man is facing a list of charges, including hit and run after an early morning crash. The church sustained damage to the exterior of the building. Officers were eventually able to locate the driver.

52-year-old Leon Ross Jr. is charged with Hit and Run, Failure to Stop/Leave Scene, Property Damage, Injury to Real Property, and Reckless Driving Wanton Disregard.

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