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Church Employees & 911 Dispatcher Help Catch Thief

Posted at 12:08 PM, Apr 08, 2014
and last updated 2014-04-08 12:45:45-04

st ann catholic church augustaKALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. (April 8, 2014)–Two church employees and a 911 dispatcher helped police catch a thief early Tuesday morning.

An employee with St. Ann’s Catholic Church, located on East D Avenue in Augusta, arrived at the building at about 7 a.m. Once inside, she heard several “strange noises” and noticed a man dressed in dark clothing flashing a light inside the church, according to a Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s press release.

The worker called 911 and left the building. While on the phone, the employee reported seeing the man leave the church with stolen items in hand. While the initial employee stayed on the phone with the dispatcher another worker followed the suspect to a golf course. Officers with the Richland Police Department arrived shortly after and took the suspect to jail.

Investigators said the man broke into a safe inside the church, but that all the stolen property was returned.

The suspect, 22, whose name is not being released is being held at the Kalamazoo County Jail.

 From the press release:

“The Sheriff’s Department credits employees of the church for their quick actions and their outstanding performance in assisting with this apprehension.”