Woman Encounters Suspect in Another Tosa Church Burglary

A volunteer working alone at in Wauwatosa had a close encounter with a stranger who is now a suspect in a break-in there the same afternoon.

Several aspects of the burglary Wednesday at Unity are similar to recent break-ins at other Tosa churches, including at Christ King Church. In both cases, both outer and interior doors were pried open and office safes were bashed open by force with heavy tools.

The Unity burglary happened some time between 1 and 6 p.m., and police have a witness who met up with a strong suspect.

The last person authorized to have been in the building at 1717 N. 73rd St., a volunteer member who helps with cleaning, had worked in the church during the morning and was alone there at 12:40 p.m. when she heard someone at the outside door to the kitchen.

She thought it was the church maintenance man, but soon she saw a stranger walking down the hall toward her. He saw her and told her he was with “security in Wauwatosa,” and had been going around checking places. He asked for a drink and she told him he could drink from the fountain, which he did.

She asked how he got in, since the church was locked, and he told her he just pushed and the door opened. She thought that odd since the door opens outward. She told him he had to leave then, and she led him out a different door.

The woman also left the church a few minutes later, and the burglary was discovered at about 6 p.m. by the church's board president, who arrived to find doors to the kitchen, the minister's office, his closet, the janitor's room, the treasurer's office and the media room all pried open and various things out of place.

Police found that a safe kept in the minister's closet had been broken open with tools — a hammer from the basement had been left on bench upstairs — and that cash had been taken from the safe and from two envelopes that had been in the treasurer's office.

One of those envelopes contained rent money from an Alcoholics Anonymous group that meets in the church.

The church volunteer described the suspect as a black male, 48 to 55 years old, 5-foot-10-inches tall, 185 to 190 pounds, medium to heavy build, with short black hair, wearing glasses with black rims, khaki pants and a white T-shirt that had “Security” printed on one side of the chest. She said he seemed clean-cut and friendly.

Everyone should be aware that there is no private contractor that provides general "Wauwatosa security" on a walk-around basis. The city has only one agency performing that service: the Wauwatosa Police Department.