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Transient arrested in Baptist church break-in in St. Petersburg

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By DAVE NICHOLSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 18, 2009

Updated: 07/18/2009 11:42 pm

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Robert Warren

ST. PETERSBURG - Officers, tipped off by a caller, arrested a suspect Saturday who was wanted in the burglary last week of Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church.

Lucious Powell, 70, told police he saw a suspicious man hanging out in front of Macedonia Free Will Baptist Church, 900 16th Ave. S.

Powell told police that the man appeared to be Robert Earl Warren, 42, who officers had publicly identified as the suspect in several church burglaries, St. Petersburg police said.

"He could have had a gun or anything and tried to rob me, which I don't have anything, but thank God this morning someone was here … and I would get a chance to call, because if I had been here by myself, I wouldn't have been able to call nobody till he was gone," Powell said.

Officers saturated the area and found Warren, who was arrested without incident at about 11 a.m. He was charged with one count of commercial burglary of Mount Pilgrim, police said. The church, 4000 Fifth Ave. S., was broken into July 10 or 11.

Warren is suspected in five church burglaries, including the Anointed Church of the Living God, 4834 18th Avenue S.. Jessica Bryant, 37, a church teacher, said the burglar jumped a fence and entered the church though an air conditioning vent.

Since the burglary, church officials have sealed the vents, locked up the fence and have become more vigilant.

"The pastor and a few of the young men, they sealed the holes up … and cemented them in the other air conditioner … so we won't have that problem," Bryant said.

Officials say there were similarities in the burglaries, including how the culprit entered and the types of items stolen.

Warren is being held on $10,000 bail, according to jail records.

News Channel 8 reporter Katie Coronado contributed to this report.

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