NORTON, Ohio — Norton police arrested a man they say was caught on camera stealing thousands of dollars in items from Winning Side Baptist Church Wednesday morning, including seven guitars and three laptops.
Officers were dispatched to the church on Easton Road at about 6:45 a.m. Wednesday for a report of a break-in. The pastor told police he may have heard some noise from inside the church but was unsure if the suspect was still there, according to a Norton police report.
Officers cleared the building and found no one inside but saw definite signs of theft.
The power to the building was cut and the meter was taken, the report states. One safe was broken into, and another appeared to have been tampered with.
The pastor told police that three MacBook laptops were missing, two valued at $1,200 and one valued at $1,400. Two bass guitars, two electric guitars and three acoustic guitars were missing, including a Martin acoustic guitar valued at $3,000. Three Google Nest devices, each valued at about $280, were also missing.
The pastor provided surveillance video of the suspect, including one video that had “a very good shot of his face,” the report states.
Officers were unable to determine a point of entry. The screen was taken off a basement window, but the window was locked. The front door was wide open, but the pastor said the deadbolt would have been locked.
Overnight Thursday, police arrested a man for the burglary. They say he is charged with four felonies, including breaking and entering, theft, vandalism and safe cracking.
Police thanked the public for their comments and tips, saying that assistance helped close the case.
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