Priest catches suspect breaking into church ‘poor box’ days before Christmas, police say

Authorities announced Tuesday that a clergyman caught a antheral breaking into the "poor box" of a Philadelphia religion conscionable days earlier Christmas.

The suspect, who was captured connected surveillance video, allegedly broke into Our Mother of Consolation Church connected the day of Dec. 20 and burglarized the donation container, a cardinal root of enactment for the community, peculiarly during the vacation season.

Officials said the fishy fled the country aft seeing the clergyman participate the worship area.

The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) shared the video successful a station detailing however the clergyman caught the fishy breaking successful and burglarizing the church.

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Our Mother of Consolation Church successful Philadelphia was reportedly burglarized connected Dec. 20, 2025, conscionable days earlier Christmas. (Philadelphia Police Department)

"The complainant (resident clergyman of Our Mother of Consolation Church) stated helium was successful his 2nd level chamber supra the religion erstwhile helium heard a large sound astatine the entranceway of the church," the constabulary said.

"When helium went down helium observed an chartless achromatic antheral breaking into the ‘poor box’ successful the main religion worship area."

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Police are looking for a antheral fishy liable for a commercialized religion burglary successful Philadelphia. (Philadelphia Police Department)

After noticing the priest, the fishy fled and was past seen heading northbound connected Germantown Avenue, constabulary said.

The PPD told Fox News Digital Tuesday that the postulation container was bare astatine the clip of the incidental and thing was taken. 

A antheral fishy allegedly tried to interruption into a church's "poor box." (Philadelphia Police Department)

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The fishy was described arsenic a Black male, bald, wearing a reddish hooded sweatshirt, bluish jeans and achromatic sneakers.

The PPD Northwest Detective Division is attempting to place the idiosyncratic liable for the commercialized religion burglary. Authorities urged residents not to attack the fishy if they spot him and to interaction 911 immediately.