Jan 1, 2009 7:43 pm US/Mountain
Police Arrest Loveland Church Burglaries Suspect
LOVELAND, Colo. (AP) ―
Authorities arrested a Greeley man suspected in two Loveland church burglaries and investigators are looking into whether he's responsible of 17 others in Fort Collins this year.
Greeley and Loveland police arrested of 33-year-old Timothy J. Mattox at his home Wednesday on suspicion of second-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, and theft by receiving and complicity.
Police said Mattox and other unidentified suspects took gift cards, cash, and checks from the First Christian Church on Dec. 22 after breaking through a window and rummaging through offices. The gift cards were used at King Soopers stores in Greeley and Loveland.
Mattox was arrested after police released surveillance video images from the stores and someone called police to identify him. Mattox is also a suspect in a Dec. 12 burglary at the Mountain View Presbyterian Church. Police said about $22,000 was stolen from both churches.
His arrest has gotten the interest of Fort Collins police.
Loveland police Detective Paul Arreola said Fort Collins accompanied the two police departments on their search warrants to look for evidence for other church burglaries in their city.
"At this time, I don't know where their investigation is," Arreola said.
The 17 burglaries in Fort Collins all happened since September.
"To us, that's the greatest type of sin is to think of yourself to the exclusion of the needs of anyone else," said Harvey Ruegsegger, pastor at First Christian Church.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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