WilCo officials investigating serial church burglar

Serial church burglar investigation

A man investigators believe is responsible for a series of church burglaries has struck again. The latest incident happened this past Sunday in Liberty Hill.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas - A man investigators believe is responsible for a series of church burglaries has struck again. The latest incident happened this past Sunday in Liberty Hill.

Church break-ins

The backstory:

The break-in at the Vintage Church in Liberty Hill happened on Sunday, Sept. 28, shortly after the morning worship service.

"And he came in really quick," said Ministry Director Beth Allen.

Allen went on to say she practically crossed paths with the burglar.

"So we have just left for the day and closed up the building right after our second service, and we’re pulling out. We left, and within two minutes, he was in the parking lot getting into the building," said Allen.

Police looking for man who stole from churches

Police are looking for a man who they believe broke into two churches this week. One church is just west of Lago Vista and the other is in Jonestown.

To get into the church, the back doors to the building were pried open with a crowbar. Cut marks from the crowbar were seen on one of the interior doors.

Security cameras inside the church captured images of the man as he casually walked through the building. He went up a set of stairs to the pastor’s office and kicked in the doors. The burglar apparently was looking for something quick and easy to take. 

Despite all the effort, it seems he left empty-handed.

"Yeah, it’s a little alarming that he walked past so many things, walked past sound equipment, iPad guitars, all kinds of things, and it looks like he was just looking for the offering," said Allen.

The Liberty Hill break-in is similar to church burglaries in Jonestown and in Lago Vista. Security camera images from those cases indicate the same man is responsible for all three break-ins. The same type of red SUV was used.

Additional clues now include: a close-up image of a unique tattoo on the man’s arm, a footprint on a door he kicked in, and the man's backpack.

"It’s one thing to break into somebody’s house. It’s another thing to break into a building. This person is now breaking into churches. I mean, we’ve had an all-time low at this point, in my opinion," said John Foster, CID Commander with the Williamson Co Sheriff’s Office.

As investigators close in, Foster offered some advice for local congregations.

"I think my message to the churches is, of course, always, go through your security measures. Make sure your cameras are working. Make sure your cameras are aimed in the right position. Make sure your doors are locked at the end of the day," said Foster.

The images are certainly unsettling for a welcoming congregation. And while members hope for an arrest, there’s also something else.

"We definitely believe that forgiveness is not beyond anyone’s means, and we hope he finds Jesus," said Allen.

The Vintage Church congregation opened its doors at its Liberty Hill location just three months ago.

If you have any information about this case, contact the Williamson County Sheriff's Office, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office or Jonestown PD.