Priest catches suspect breaking into church ‘poor box’ days before Christmas, police say
Authorities announced Tuesday that a priest caught a man breaking into the "poor box" of a Philadelphia church just days before Christmas.
The suspect, who was captured on surveillance video, allegedly broke into Our Mother of Consolation Church on the afternoon of Dec. 20 and burglarized the donation container, a key source of support for the community, particularly during the holiday season.
Officials said the suspect fled the scene after seeing the priest enter the worship area.
The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) shared the video in a post detailing how the priest caught the suspect breaking in and burglarizing the church.
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"The complainant (resident priest of Our Mother of Consolation Church) stated he was in his second floor bedroom above the church when he heard a loud noise at the entrance of the church," the police said.
"When he went down he observed an unknown black male breaking into the ‘poor box’ in the main church worship area."
After noticing the priest, the suspect fled and was last seen heading northbound on Germantown Avenue, police said.
The PPD told Fox News Digital Tuesday that the collection box was empty at the time of the incident and nothing was taken.
The suspect was described as a Black male, bald, wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and white sneakers.
The PPD Northwest Detective Division is attempting to identify the individual responsible for the commercial church burglary. Authorities urged residents not to approach the suspect if they see him and to contact 911 immediately.