Juveniles responsible for church burglary

Published 7:00 am Friday, June 12, 2015

Officials with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department were able to identify five juveniles involved in the burglary that occurred at Union Baptist Church this past weekend.

The Item previously reported that on Sunday, June 7, officers responded to the 1600 block of West Union Road at 8 p.m. regarding a burglary at a concession stand located at the church’s baseball field, which they also vandalized. The stolen items included a small amount of money and several snacks.

Through investigation into the case, officers were able to identify five male suspects; four of whom are 14-years-old while one is 15-years-old. Through further investigation, officers learned the juveniles also broke into, stole and vandalized another building near the ball field that same night, Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said.

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The church decided not to press charges. Bro. Brian Tatum, including the juveniles’ parents, said they agreed to punish the juveniles by making them attend church service, do community service, make a public apology and pay damages to the church.