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Man arrested for thefts from church collection box

Published  March 21, 2017 1:49pm EDT
US
FOX 29 Philadelphia

HILLTOWN, Pa. (WTXF) - Folks at Our Lady of Sacred Heart Catholic Church Chapel in Hilltown, Bucks County, called police when they found the amount of money "collected from a locked donation box had substantially declined" on multiple occasions.

The Chapel on Broad Street is open for visitors during the day, but is not staffed.

Hilltown police saw surveillance video showing a middle-aged, balding man "opening the donation box with an unknown type master key."

According to police, the man "who had no affiliation with the church, stole cash from the box on multiple occasions."

Investigators identified him as David Bennett, also known as David Branca, from Norristown.

Police say the 55-year-old faces additional criminal charges in the area "for identical thefts from churches."

And they add, "Bennett is also a suspect in numerous other thefts from churches and other houses of worship in southeastern Pennsylvania."

Now, police are asking anyone with information on cash stolen from churches in the Philadelphia region to call their local police or the Hilltown Township Police Department at 215-453-6000.