Philadelphia, PA– Police are searching for a man who broke into a Center City church early Saturday morning and stole a golden crown from a statue of the Virgin Mary.
The man was caught on camera smashing a stained glass window and entering St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church at 21 S. 13th St. just after 1 a.m., police said.
“Our video — we have outside and inside cameras — showed the guy coming in,” St. John’s Associate Pastor John McCloskey told NBC10. “And he was in and out within 10 minutes. He was very agile and he knew exactly what he was doing.”
Surveillance footage released Monday by police shows the man climbing the church’s exterior. Police said they believe he drove a gray Mitsubishi SUV. The crown is made of gold and is adorned with gems. It was created around 1900 by James E. Caldwell & Co to celebrate the reopening of the church after an 1899 fire completely destroyed its interior except for the marble Mary statue that the crown was later placed on, the Inquirer reported.
The stained glass window that was broken dates back to the church’s reopening in 1902. It was made in Munich, Germany.
Article provided by the Philadelphia voice- click HERE to review article and video surveillance.
If you have any information regarding this incident or information on this suspect, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.