Editor's Note: this article was first published in the July edition of the Tremont Tribune, out and online now.
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| The section of Crotona Parkway in front of St. Thomas Aquinas Church is now Bishop Francisco Garmendia Place, in honor of the parish’s late pastor. (Photo by Jeanmarie Evelly) |
A sixth Bronx church was burglarized this weekend, the latest in a string of break-ins targeting churches in the area since the start of November.
Someone broke into an office window at the Church of the Mediator, on West 231st Street and Kingsbridge Avenue, late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, according to senior warden Frank Holsapple and the NYPD.
The thief, or thieves, made off with several recently donated laptop computers and about $800 in cash, money the church was collecting for a Christmas toy drive.
"They hit every church around here, and I guess we were the last stop," Holsapple said, adding that the burglar or burglars wrecked the office that they broke into but were unable to access the rest of the church, as the room was securely locked.
"They went out the way they came in," he said. "It could have been a lot worse."
A police spokeswoman said that they have no description of the perpetrator so far, and the investigation is ongoing.
Other churches that have been hit since early November include Our Lady of Refuge on 194th Street and Briggs Avenue, St. Ann’s Church on Bainbridge Avenue, Kingsbridge Evangelical Lutheran Church on Bailey Avenue, St. John’s Church on Kingsbridge Avenue, and Our Lady of Angels on Claflin Avenue.
"We're still edgy," said Father Antonio Zabala of St. John's Church. "They were able to break in through the window even though it has bars on it. These robbers are really professional crooks, and are really dangerous."
Church leaders say one silver lining has been the public's response as news of the burglaries spread.
"It's been overwhelming," said Father John Jenik of Our Lady of Refuge Church, which lost two laptops, a video camera and $1,300 in cash after a break-in at the end of November.
"We've gotten four laptop computers and over $15,000 in donations," he said.
Jenik says the parish will use the money towards repairing damages from the burglary and for tuition assistance, and to invest in a new alarm system for the church.
"We know how they got in, and it was easy for them," he said. "We have certainly tightened up security around here."
By David Greene
Detectives continue to hunt for the individual or people responsible in a string of break-ins and burglaries of churches and Catholic schools in Bedford Park, Norwood and Kingsbridge Heights. The thief or thieves responsible have netted thousands of dollars in cash and electronics.
On Monday morning, Our Lady of Refuge, on 196th Street and Briggs Avenue, became the fifth church or Catholic school targeted in the last three weeks when church officials found that someone had broken in through a basement window and stolen a pair of laptop computers, a video camera and $1,300 in cash.
Other houses of worship targeted recently include St. Ann’s Church on Bainbridge Avenue, Kingsbridge Evangelical Lutheran Church on Bailey Avenue, St. John’s Church on Kingsbridge Avenue and Our Lady of Angels on Claflin Avenue.
Principal Marivel Colon of Our Lady of Refuge School said several windows and doors will have to be replaced. “They threw things all over the place,” Colon said. The pair of stolen laptops had recently been purchased with a grant to their early childhood program.
“It’s devastating,” Colon continued. “I’ve been here 20 years and we’ve never had a break-in. Look at the neighborhood, there’s not a lot of money here.”
Police were expected to meet with church officials on Tuesday, Nov. 30, in an effort to prevent future robberies.
The latest crime spree began on Nov. 6, a month after a similar crime spree came to an end when police arrested Dimas Cuadrado, 28, of Throgs Neck. Cuadrado has pleaded not guilty to charges that connect him to several break-ins of Bronx churches.
Correction: In the original print edition article and blog post, we mistakenly put the wrong street location for Our Lady of Refuge Church. It is located on 196th Street.
Ed. note: This article appears in the latest edition of the Norwood News, which is out on streets and online now. Pick up a copy today.
Police arrested Tyrone Hunter, of the Bronx, yesterday in connection with a string of robberies that took place last week on the Upper East Side.
The body of a man killed in an apartment fire in Mount Eden over the weekend has been identified as 48-year-old Juan Marte, a local barber and father of three. Police are still looking for a group of teens spotted in the lobby before the blaze began.
A Bronx man has started his own theatre group, Local Celebrity Theatre. Proceeds from many of the groups' plays and performances are donated to charity; this month's original production, "Telethon for Santa,"will run at Lehman High School and will raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Police are beefing up patrols around local Catholic schools and churches after a number of them were burglarized over the last month or so.
To add to their worries: 15 Bronx Catholic schools are still in the lurch after the Archdiocese of New York announced that they may cut funding for them. A decision is expected over the next month.
Speculation over Yankees superstar Derek Jeter's future: will he leave the Bronx in search of more millions? It's unlikely, according to the Times.
Bronx Councilman James Vacca's new bill is looking to put a stop to bad landlords and shady developers. The legislation would require any developer with violation fines or debts to the city to pay up before they are allowed permits for any new projects.
Despite an economic uptick this year, stalled building sites increased across the city. There are 30 suspended projects in the Bronx.
A Bronx landscaper believed to have caused a fatal car crash on Long Island this Sunday had a bottle of vodka in his truck, according to prosecutors. Everado Nieto's blood alcohol level was within legal limits at the time of arrrest. The crash left another man dead and his wife critically injured.
Police are looking for witnesses to a fatal hit-and-run crash on the Upper West Side Friday night in order to prosecute 24-year-old Bronx resident Jessica Altruz. She's been accused of leaving the scene of a crime and who could face manslaughter charges for the accident, which killed 67-year-old Margaret Fisher.
Dave Levitt, a lifelong klezmer musician--music of Eastern European Jews--is delighting seniors at Jewish Home Lifecare on Kingsbridge Road, where he works as a "music specialist."
City Harvest, and Food Network star Ellie Krieger, gave out 20,000 pounds of fresh produce to Bronx residents on Thanksgiving.
