(BPDNews photo)
District A-1 Boston Police arrested Richard Shiner, 47 years old, on Tuesday morning under a warrant for Breaking & Entering at St. Leonard Church. Detectives are requesting the court hold Mr. Shiner in custody, according to Sgt. Tom Lema on behalf of Captain Thomas Lee and Lt. Detective Chuck Wilson.
A witness at the church watching video surveillance caught the suspect, “standing in front of a wooden candle box, sticking a white wooden stick through the money slot, removing cash bills and placing them in his pocket.”
The church also has video of the suspect in the church over the last few weeks. The suspect is well-known by Boston Police for repeatedly targeting churches in the past. Police issued a warrant after the church break in at St. Leonard’s on December 6, 2012.
The amount of total money taken from the church is unknown, although police counted 17 envelopes taken from a separate candle box.
(NorthEndWaterfront.com photo)
A string of break-ins had led three North End churches to severely reduce their hours, closing their doors to the community.
At the January 2013 public safety meeting, BPD District A-1 discussed the larceny at St. Leonard’s Church, located on the corner of Hanover and Prince Streets (official address is 14 N. Bennet St.)
All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
