Northeast News

August 17, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – An individual matching the description of a suspect in a recent string of church burglaries has been arrested, says Major Joe McHale, Commander of the East Patrol Division.

McHale issued the following public notification, written by Detective David DeLaMare, on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 17:

“On 08-16-2016 during the evening Kansas City, MO Police Officers were dispatched to a church at Independence Ave. and Gladstone Ave. on a burglary.  At the scene the Officers arrested the Suspect, Albert Brown, a black male in his mid-50’s.  The suspect had entered the church through a window and then was confronted by an employee of the church.  The suspect left the church, causing no problems.  The suspect matched the description of the burglary suspect from Covent Memorial Baptist church off of Van Brunt Blvd.  Detectives with East Property Crimes Unit investigated the crime and submitted the case to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office where the suspect was charged with burglary.  Detectives will continue to investigate the other burglaries and upon completion will submit those cases to the prosecutor’s office.”

St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in the 300 block of Benton Boulevard and Grace United Church in the 800 block of Benton Blvd. were both burglarized in early August. Property Crimes detectives at East Patrol indicated that the same type of electronic equipment was stolen from each church. In an email sent out to area neighborhood organizations, Sergeant Lisa Allender indicated that microphones, speakers and similar electronics were stolen. In the case of St. Anthony’s, it is one of at least three burglaries that has plagued the church over the last year or so.

According to Father Paul Turner of St. Anthony’s Parish, roughly $3,000 worth of sound equipment was stolen on Tuesday, August 2 when the burglar broke a stained glass window to gain access to the church.

“Somehow he was able to maneuver around the interior motion sensors and get this stuff out of the sanctuary” said Turner. “We’re not sure if it was a malfunction or not but we as a congregation really feel violated by this latest burglary.”

McHale added in the August 17 public notification that Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker has been made aware of the arrest.

“Nobody steals from God and gets away with it,” McHale wrote.