A church in Miami has allegedly become a victim of a burglary.
Church management discovered that the air conditioning unit was missing, along with other items. A/C units contain copper wire that can be sold for scrap metal.
Burglary of a church qualifies as burglary of an unoccupied structure, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 5 years in state prison.
In order to make arrests, police will look to see if the A/C unit has been sold to a local scrap metal yard. They will also check surveillance video and have a crime scene team take DNA swabs from the building and items around it. If the suspects have been arrested before, their DNA could be on file.
No word yet on any potential suspects. Apparently, this type of crime has become common in Miami-Dade County.
Eric Matheny is a criminal defense attorney representing clients charged with burglary in Miami-Dade and Broward.