A 28-year-old Chicago man was charged Thursday with six felony counts of burglary for his alleged involvement in burglaries at several area churches, police said Friday.
Ahmad Rashad Buckley, of the 1400 block of North Mason Avenue in Chicago, had a bond hearing Friday and is being held by Oak Park police without bond, said Sgt. Michael Richardson.
Buckley was arrested by Oak Park police the night of Dec. 27 at Oak Park’s St. Gregorios Orthodox Church after he was found inside the ceiling of a small utility room. A priest at the church was outside the building in the 1100 block of North Humphrey Avenue when he noticed the lights on inside. The priest called police around 10:45 p.m. The incident Dec. 27 was the third break-in at the church in less than two weeks. On Dec. 19, someone used a pry-type tool to break a side door and damaged the pastor’s closet door, a pantry door and wood money boxes. The offender also took about $1,500 in cash as well as a sound mixer, keyboard and projector. The electronics were recovered in a church courtyard.
On Dec. 24, someone used a brick to break a glass window on the church’s ground floor and broke the door on the donations collection box. Estimated damage was about $300.
Buckley admitted to breaking into Austin Boulevard Christian Church in the 600 block of North Austin Boulevard on Nov. 12 and 20, Richardson said. He also allegedly broke into Judson Baptist Church in the 1200 block of Austin Boulevard Nov. 19.
