Weekly Church Crime News 09/12/2022

(September 8) Toledo Pastor Accused Of Pulling Gun On His Wife Facing Charges

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A local pastor was court-ordered to stay away from his wife after an alleged domestic incident involving a gun. According to court documents, Reverend Charles Ross of New Prospect Baptist Church “loaded a firearm and stated ‘it is going end’ while he held the firearm in front of the victim”.

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(September 7) Burglars Set Up Camp In Yucca Valley Church

After breaking into The Yucca Valley United Methodist Church and stealing gift cards, burglars set up camp inside the building. According to a County Sheriff’s report, sometime between Monday, August 29, and Friday, September 2, unknown suspects broke into an office window of the church, located on Onaga Trail near Joshua Lane, and after entering the premises, set up a camp for an unknown period of time.

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(September 6) 3 Teenage Girls Arrested After Shooting Into Air Near Hampton Church, Police Say

HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — Three teenage girls were arrested Sunday after Hampton police say they fired shots into the air near a church on Fox Hill Road. Hampton police say they were dispatched to the 400 block of Fox Hill Road near Community Presbyterian Church just after 3 p.m. Sunday for a shots fired call.

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(September 5) Thieves Steal Air Conditioning Units From Orange Mound Church

MEMPHIS, Tenn.– A Memphis congregation is likely praying for cooler weather after thieves recently targeted their church, taking two of their industrial size air conditioning units when temperatures were in the 90s. At Promise Land Church of God in Christ on Airways, the mission is to serve God and the needs of the people of the Orange Mound community and Memphis.

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(September 5) Art Stolen From Exhibit In Montpelier Church 

Burglars broke into a Montpelier church and stole thousands of dollars in art late last month, officials said. Seven mostly abstract works from local artists were swiped from an exhibition in a chapel at the Bethany United Church of Christ, according to Linda Hogan, president of the Art Resource Association, which sponsored the show.

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(September 5) Caught on Camera: Rare Religious Statue Stolen From The Alter Of Camden County Church

GIBBSBORO, N.J. - Leaders of a New Jersey Catholic Church are asking for the return of a rare religious statue they say was stolen from the alter of their chapel last week. Monsignor Louis Marucci, the pastor of St. Andrew the Apostle in Camden County, said the church's Our Lady of Fatima statue was swiped by a man around 4 p.m. Tuesday. 

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(September 5) Lowestoft Churchgoer's Handbag Stolen In Distraction Theft

One man distracted the congregation while another made off with the handbag. Two men have been arrested after a handbag was stolen from a church in Lowestoft during the morning worship. It was taken from a churchgoer at All Saints St Margaret Church on The Causeway on Sunday, August 22 at 10.15am. Two men entered the church during the start of the worship. One male distracted the congregation while another stole the victim's unattended handbag from a rear pew seat. Both men then left on foot.

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(September 2) Three Teens Accused Of Burglarizing Church Twice In Two Days

ALLENDALE TWP. — Three 16-year-olds are accused of stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of items from a church, deputies say. The incident happened at Life Stream Church, located on Lake Michigan Drive near 68th Avenue in Allendale Township. Deputies from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office were called to the church on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 27, when church staff discovered the theft.

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(September 2) Man Charged With Kidnapping, Carjacking Florence Pastor Faces Sentencing 

FLORENCE, S.C. (WMBF) – The man who is charged with kidnapping and carjacking a pastor in Florence will be sentenced Friday morning. Joseph Wright ended up changing his plea in June and entered a guilty plea to the kidnapping and carjacking charges.

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