FALL RIVER, Mass. — The Fall River Police Department announced the arrest of a man after reportedly breaking into a church and stealing donation funds.
Police say that on Tuesday night, they responded to Holy Name Church on Hanover Street for a reported break-in.
A member of the church saw a thin white male with dark hair, wearing a red t-shirt, exiting the building as the alarm was activated. The suspect fled the area on foot in the direction of President Avenue.
Police say that there were no signs of forced entry or anything missing after inspecting the church.
This was now the third break-in at Holy Name Church; the first was on June 22, with $6,000 stolen, and the second was on July 6, with $1,300 stolen.
After further investigation into these cases, alongside detailed analysis of neighborhood security footage and eyewitness statements, detectives were able to identify 36-year-old Joseph Costa as the suspect.
Surveillance footage from July 6th showed Costa walking toward Holy Name Church empty-handed. Moments after the reported theft, he was seen walking away from the area carrying a plastic bag consistent with those used by the church to store donated funds.
Additionally, Costa was linked to an additional incident on March 28 at a different church, Saint Anthony of the Desert Church on North Eastern Avenue, where footage showed a man matching Costa’s appearance leaving the church after a set of keys were stolen.
A witness spotted Costa taking money from the donation box, and when Costa noticed he was being watched, he put his head down and handed the money to the witness.
Costa was arrested on Tuesday and charged with the following:
- Breaking and Entering a Building in the Daytime for a Felony (three counts)
- Larceny Over $1,200 (two counts)
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