A 61-year-old man has been arrested on Long Island in connection with a series of burglaries, one of them at a church. The arrest came on a Wednesday, according to police. Among those reacting was a person who said they were glad he was being caught and found it disturbing that he had allegedly chosen a place of worship to break into.
The man, identified in the report as Roman, is accused of breaking into the church and taking money kept there. The detail drew particular concern because a sanctuary is a place people expect to be safe. Police described the church break-in as part of a broader pattern of alleged offences.
According to investigators, Roman is also allegedly responsible for two other burglaries in the area. The cases together point to a string of break-ins rather than a single isolated incident. Authorities laid out the locations and timeline as they announced the charges.
In one case, police say he entered a basement apartment and stole cash and jewelry on Caleb's Path in Central Islip. The theft of valuables from a home underscored the personal impact of the alleged crimes on residents in the community.
On June 12th, according to police, he kicked in the front door of a home on Clayton Street and again stole cash and jewelry. The forced entry marked another alleged break-in in the same area, adding to the list of cases now tied to the suspect.
During one of the break-ins, investigators say, he went into a basement apartment where a person inside confronted him. That resident then called the police. The encounter appears to have played a role in bringing the alleged burglary spree to the attention of authorities.
The man was scheduled to be arraigned. As with any criminal case, the allegations against him remain to be tested in court, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Police indicated the investigation into the series of burglaries was continuing.