American Martyrs Roman Catholic Church in Queens targeted before Sunday mass
NYC suspect accused of stealing $900 from church after posing as priest
The American Martyrs Roman Catholic Church in Queens was targeted by an unidentified suspect before Sunday mass. (Credit: NYPD)
Police in New York City are searching for a suspect accused of stealing $900 from a church in Queens after allegedly posing as a visiting priest from Rome, reports say.
The individual – who is seen in surveillance photos wearing a blue suit and a black shirt – entered the American Martyrs Roman Catholic Church on Sunday ahead of a 12:30 p.m. mass, according to Fox5 NY.
"He told the Monsignor, he said, ‘I would like to celebrate, but all my stuff is in the rectory, I spent the night there,’" Father Peter Rayder, a priest at the church, said to the station.
The monsignor then allegedly let the man into the rectory, where he stole $900 from a dresser in Rayder’s bedroom, the station reports. Rayder told Fox5 NY that he confronted the man at one point.
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The suspect in the burglary at the American Martyrs Roman Catholic Church in Queens is described by police as being between 45 and 55 years old. (NYPD)
"I asked him if he had a letter of suitability, which is needed when you travel, to know you are in good standing with your diocese. He said, 'It's in my car, I’ll go get it.' And that was it," Rayder said.
The New York City Police Department says the bedroom was unlocked during the burglary and that the suspect later "fled the location in a dark-colored sedan, traveling southbound on Bell Boulevard."
"The victim did not sustain any injuries from this incident," police added. "The individual being sought is described as a male with a light complexion, approximately 45–55 years old, 190 pounds, 5’9" tall, and bald with a beard."
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The suspect was last seen wearing a blue suit and black shoes before fleeing from the church in New York City. (NYPD)
In a statement to Fox5 NY, the Brooklyn Diocese alleged that the suspect also attempted to rob the St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Brooklyn in October last year after posing as a visiting priest who claimed to have left his keys in the rectory there.
In that incident, a church official reportedly called the pastor, who informed him he had no visitors – so the individual was told to wait, but he left.
"We are glad that no one was hurt in either incident in our Diocese, but this man who is preying on churches must be apprehended before someone is harmed and more is stolen," the Brooklyn Diocese said.
The suspect is accused of stealing from the rectory of the American Martyrs Roman Catholic Church. (Google Maps)
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The NYPD did not respond when asked by Fox News Digital if the suspect in the Queens incident is the same individual who allegedly attempted to rob the church in Brooklyn. There are also reports of similar robberies in Texas and other states, but it’s unclear whether the same person is behind them.
Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.
