Teen Arrested in Church Burglary

By Becky Purser, The Macon Telegraph, Ga.

Jan. 13–WARNER ROBINS — A teenager was arrested early Thursday morning outside a Houston County church with the key to the church van in his pocket and church property loaded in the van, a sheriff’s investigator says.

The 16-year-old Houston County boy was charged with burglary, sheriff’s Sgt. Ronnie Harlowe said.

Sgt. Robert Clark said the teen, dressed all in black, apparently broke into Oakgrove Baptist Church on a rural stretch of Dunbar Road, found the keys to the church van and decided to steal it, too.

Deputy Tim Chapman was on routine patrol about 2:30 a.m. Thursday on Emerald Boulevard off Dunbar Road Extension just west of the church when he saw the interior lights of the van, the investigator said.

In the dark and from a distance, it’s unlikely Chapman would have noticed the van had its dome light not been on, Clark said.

The deputy drove up to check it out and discovered the church had been broken into and the van was backed up to the church.

Inside the van was an attache case, the church’s small safe, a VCR and a gym bag, Clark said.

Nearby, two speakers, apparently ready to be loaded, rested near the back of the van, he said.

The teenager was captured inside the church after a short struggle with deputy Larry Richardson, who arrived on scene to back up Chapman, the investigator said.

To contact Becky Purser, call 923-3109, extension 243, or e-mail bpurser@macontel.com [mailto:bpurser@macontel.com].

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Macon Telegraph, Ga.

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