By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Friday, January 4, 1991
The Record (New Jersey) | Four Star B | NEWS | Page B03
A Fort Lee pastor said he sensed about midday Tuesday would be a convenient time for someone, if they were so inclined, to try to steal money from his church’s offering box. So he sneaked into the church and caught a man in the act.
The Rev. James Sullivan of Holy Trinity R. C. Church of Fort Lee said he had repaired the box six days earlier after someone stole between $10 to $35 from it. He said he noticed a few days later that someone had tampered with the box again.
Entering the church from a side door, Sullivan said he “could hear the box being tampered with. “
Fort Lee police arrested Carl Crawford, 34, of Bond Street, Freehold, a few minutes after Sullivan called 911 and reported a thief in the church.
Crawford had in his possession a tool for prying open boxes, six single dollar bills, and a check for $10 written to the Blessed Sacrament Church in Margate, said Fort Lee Police Chief John Orso. Crawford was charged with burglary, theft, and possession of burglary tools, and was being held in the Bergen County Jail Thursday on $2,500 bail.
Sullivan said Crawford, who is not a parishioner of the church, had been hanging in and around the church at “odd hours” for the past week, striking up conversations with church members.
Keywords: FORT LEE; RELIGION; BUILDING; THEFT
ID: 17328532 | Copyright © 1991, The Record (New Jersey)
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