Police: Man broke into churches, stole cash, gift cards, food

Police say a man used a hammer to break into an Emsworth church to burglarize it, then went across the street and broke into another church facility and did the same thing, stealing cash and food.

Channel 11 learned Jeffrey Chambers is in jail Thursday, charged with breaking into churches and parochial schools in four local communities, among them Sacred Heart Church and School in Emsworth in October.

After taking whatever cash, credit cards and gift cards he could, find police say he went across the street to the Holy Family Institute, where he damaged property and stole petty cash.

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After that, police say Chambers moved on to churches in Mt Lebanon, Stowe and a parochial school north of Pittsburgh.Police told Channel 11 Chambers d

oesn’t just break in, but makes himself at home, like at the Catholic school in Gibsonia, where they say he broke in, meandered around and then helped himself to ginger ale and pizza.

What did Chambers do next? Police showed Channel 11 surveillance pictures of Chambers using stolen credit cards at area Walmarts, racking up purchases totaling more than $6,000.

Police say Chambers left a black ski mask in a van that he stole from one church then ditched later, which helped lead to the arrest.

Police are still tallying the number of churches Chambers may have burglarized.

Cox Media Group