Man charged with burglarizing Columbia Heights church

A man is charged with two counts of second-degree burglary after prosecutors say he stole several items from a church in Columbia Heights.

According to a criminal complaint, Columbia Heights police responded to a burglary at Grace and Truth Chapel on May 31.

A church employee told police that she saw a man, later identified as Jeremiah Rashawn Harris, 33, entering and leaving the chapel via surveillance video. His arm was in a sling.

Several items were reported missing from the building after the incident.

Officers found that screens had been removed from two windows on the southeast corner of the church and believe this is how Harris got into the building.

Fingerprints taken from the window came back as a match for Harris, court documents stated.

The church was burglarized again on June 14. The suspect in this burglary matched the description of Harris and also had his arm in a sling. Authorities noted that he got into the church by cutting the screen on the window.

In the second burglary, a MEVO brand camera was taken. Court documents state that Harris pawned a MEVO camera on July 5.

Police also learned that Harris broke his hand in an altercation the day before the first burglary.

The court document also says that Fridley police were dispatched to a tow lot close to the church shortly after the first incident, where they found Harris trying to enter the lot where he had a red Ford F150 impounded. A red Ford F150 was seen leaving the church after the second burglary.