Brooklyn man charged with stealing from church — again
A 40-year old man with a history of vandalizing local churches was arrested and charged Sunday with burglary at Quinn Chapel in Brooklyn.
In 2018, Orlandus Gower, a resident of Brooklyn, was charged with criminal damage to property after breaking windows at Lovejoy Temple Church of God. In the fall of 2019, he was sentenced on two counts of attempted burglary.
Then, sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning, Brooklyn police say, Gower smashed out the glass window at Quinn Chapel, 108 N. Fifth St. He took three space heaters, a projector, a jar of loose change, said Brooklyn Detective Antonio White.
“He pulled a window screen out and busted the windows,” White said.
Gower was arrested Sunday morning when officers saw him walking down the street. He cooperated with police, White said.
Gower already was on probation for damaging property at Lovejoy Temple in February 2018.
White told the Belleville News-Democrat at the time that Gower had been breaking into churches and residences for about a year.
‘Surveillance cameras at Lovejoy Temple Church of God showed Gower, using a for way lug wrench to gain entry to the church” in 2018, White said. “When he got out of prison, that’s when the burglaries started in the village of Brooklyn.”
Gower is being held at the St. Clair County jail in lieu of $100,000.
This story was originally published February 19, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
