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Pinellas Deputies Release Images Of Church Burglars

Surveillance pictures

These images are from a burglary Tuesday at Generations Christian Church, 2795 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs.

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TBO.com

Published: December 31, 2008

Deputies are releasing surveillance photographs and video in an effort to identify two men who have burglarized four churches in northern Pinellas County since November.

Both men are white, 18 to 20 years old and weigh about 150 pounds. One has blond hair and is 5 feet 7 inches tall. The other has black hair and is 5 feet 6 inches tall.

The blond was wearing a gray T-shirt, bluejeans, white tennis shoes and latex gloves. The other man wore a dark blue long-sleeve pullover shirt, bluejeans and dark tennis shoes.

Deputies say they were traveling in a midsize four-door silver vehicle.

The images being released are from a burglary Tuesday at Generations Christian Church, 2795 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs.

Detectives say the men circled the church property in the van and that once they were on the grounds they seemed familiar with the locations of surveillance cameras. They tried to cover their faces with their hands, approached one camera, pointed it up and then cut wires to disable the cameras.

The men entered through a window. They searched for and found keys, then used them to open the church's administrative offices. The men left with an undisclosed amount of cash and what they thought – erroneously -- was the surveillance video.

On Monday, the men burglarized Northlake Family Church, 300 N. Highland Ave., Tarpon Springs. They entered through a window, searched desks and cabinets and found keys they used to enter offices. The took an undisclosed amount of cash.

The day after Christmas, they burglarized Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 15555 Windmill Pointe Road, Palm Harbor, deputies said. Again, they climbed through a window, found keys and used them to take an undisclosed amount of money from a vending machine.

On Nov. 26, they hit Eastlake Methodist Church, 2801 Eastlake Road, Palm Harbor. There they entered an exterior storage area and took lawn equipment.

Anyone with information should call Detective Ken Sokolowski at (727) 582-6200. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-8477.

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