ST. CLOUD, Fla. – A man known to law enforcement as a perpetual burglar broke into a St. Cloud church with the help of a female accomplice, according to the St. Cloud Police Department.
Christopher Swanson, 26, and Yashira Ortiz-Hernandez, 25, had just gotten off a Lynx bus Sunday night and were walking near 13th Avenue when Swanson saw First Baptist Church and told Ortiz-Hernandez, "He wanted to get into the church so bad," according to the report.
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Police said the pair walked to the rear of the building and Swanson used a gun he had in his waistband to shatter a window so he could crawl through it.
Surveillance video showed Swanson and Ortiz-Hernandez entering and exiting the building several times with boxes and other items in their hands, the report said. That surveillance video helped authorities identify Swanson, a convicted felon who police say has burglarized churches in the past.
A pastor at First Baptist Church said four Mac computers, five wireless Mac keyboards, a mouse, cash and checks, a box of Legos, a bag of change, a Polaroid camera, two TV mounts and a charm necklace -- all together valued at $7,375 -- were stolen, according to the affidavit.
Damage to doors, a window, a desk and other items amounted to more than $5,000.
Swanson's father's girlfriend told police that Swanson and Ortiz-Hernandez came to their St. Cloud home with bags of property and she told them they were not welcome, officials said.
With the help of the United States Marshals Service, Swanson and Ortiz-Hernandez were arrested on Thursday, according to a news release.
Swanson is charged with armed burglary, grand theft, criminal mischief to a church, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of burglary tools.
Ortiz-Hernandez is charged with grand theft, burglary and criminal mischief to a church.