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I have read several articles recently involving violent church robberies where a suspect enters a church and robs a church member and takes money at gunpoint.
It is important your church membership understands how to behave in a church robbery situation, especially those who handle cash or make bank transports.
It is no longer outside the realm of possibility that a violent person would enter your church sanctuary and steal God's money.
In this video I discuss some considerations for handling a church robbery.
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NEWPORT BEACH – A man has been charged with committing hate crime arson by attempting to set an Irvine church on fire after becoming disgruntled with the church’s teachings. Izad Chavoshan, 30, Huntington Beach, is charged with three felony counts of arson, one felony count of attempted arson, and faces a hate crime sentencing enhancement. The defendant has a prior strike conviction for criminal threats in 1998. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in state prison. The People will be requesting $250,000 bail at Chavoshan’s arraignment today, Friday, Oct. 23, 2009, at 1:30 p.m. in Department H-1, Harbor Justice Center, Newport Beach.
Between Oct. 15, 2009, and Oct. 19, 2009, Chavoshan is accused of driving to the Orange County Church of Christ in Irvine on three separate occasions at night after everyone had left. The defendant, a former church member, is accused of disagreeing with the church and its teachings. On all three occasions, the defendant is accused of moving trash cans to the front of the church and setting them on fire. Church employees reported the fires to Irvine Police, who began investigating the case.
At approximately 10:00 p.m. on Oct, 21. 2009, Chavoshan is accused of driving to the church and parking close to the front doors. He is accused of approaching the front of the church and repeatedly throwing a trash can at the glass portion of the front doors. The defendant is then accused of removing a pack of matches from his pocket, lighting a piece of paper on fire, and attempting to set the church on fire by pushing the lit piece of paper between the closed church doors.
Chavoshan was arrested at the scene by officers, who had been monitoring the church in response to the three trash can fires. This case was investigated by the Irvine Police Department Special Investigations Unit and Orange County Fire Authority fire investigators.
Deputy District Attorney Andrew Katz of the Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting this case.
Original Press Release
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FUQUAY-VARINA (WTVD) — Monday investigators released the dramatic 911 call from a woman who was allegedly killed by her former boyfriend before he shot himself in the parking lot of a Fuquay-Varina church.
Jammie Street was shot and killed moments after making a 911 call. Her boyfriend, Jerome Montgomery is charged with first-degree murder.
When police arrived at the St. Augusta Missionary Baptist Church on the morning of October 7, they knew the situation was dangerous.
Street had just called 911 after dropping off her two oldest children at the before and after school care center. She had planned to take her youngest child to a nearby daycare.
However, she never made it because she was interrupted by the child's father, a man she had tried to end a relationship with.
On the call, Street is heard asking for police. "Can I get a police officer at St. Augusta Church, now?" she asked the 911 dispatcher.
Street went on to tell the dispatcher that there was someone there with a gun in his pocket and he was about to kill himself. "This is not the first time," Street said. "Can I get a cop out here now?"
Street sounded calm as she described her boyfriend.
"Jerome Montgomery," she said. "Tall, dark skinned male with a black — Jerome, stop!" That statement was followed by a rustling sound and screams.
Apparently Montgomery grabbed her out of her vehicle and her phone was left behind. The two then moved toward the road.
That's when the director of the child care program came out of the building and found Street's youngest child. The director said the couple was involved in a physical struggle nearby.
During the final portion of the call there are the sounds of gunshots and screams.
A total of four shots were fired and Street was hit three times. She fell just off the pavement onto the road next to the church and died at the scene.
Montogmery shot himself in the chest and fell in the middle of the road. He survived.
He is charged with murder and is under the watch of a guard while he recovers at WakeMed in Raleigh.
Original Story
Indianapolis - Members of a near east side church were robbed Friday morning in a church basement. Police are looking for two men in connection with the robbery.
The victims were held at gunpoint while they were working to raise money for the church. It happened around 8:30 am at 9th and Chester.
Nine members of the near east side La Luz Del Mundo Church were victimized Friday morning while cooking food for a church fundraiser. They were all herded into the church basement by a gunman, afraid they would die.
"I was very afraid he would start shooting," said Victoria Chavez, speaking through a translator.
Shortly after the ordeal, members of the church were back at work baking while police gathered evidence including what may have been fingerprints left by the gunman.
According to witnesses, two men walked up to the rear of the church where a door was open. One entered with a gun while the other stood as a lookout.Victor Carillo is pastor at the 175-member church.
"He came down the stairs and found everyone here working and he came down with a gun, pointing it at everybody," said Carillo.
Witnesses say he shoved the gun into the back of one church member's head demanding money. Victoria Chavez was the only one with money. The gunman took $240 from her purse along with a cell phone.
"He had us all get in that corner and he grabbed me from my back," said Chavez.
While no one was hurt, the church and its members, who say they've never had any problems, became victims of a crime of opportunity that almost ended badly.
"It's terrible. If there's no fear of God, it's awful. You know? No respect at all," said Pastor Carillo.
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Church Security Incident- I was notified by a law enforcement officer (who wished to remain anonymous) of an incident that happened close to my hometown in Ohio.
This story is anecdotal and it is not backed by any source other than the officer who passed it along to me.
The first incident involved a church secretary and a soon to be ex-husband. The man showed up in while she was working and caused a disturbance. He was removed by law enforcement.
A few days later, church staff contacted law enforcement to let them know outside doors had been found chained and locked from the outside. This of course set my mind to wondering what evil intent someone had to do something like this. Check out the video to listen to me describe the incident and provide some simple solutions.
The second incident happened in Anna, IL where a church secretary and cleaning lady were injured by an unknown attacker.
I am often alarmed when I go into a church and find the secretary there all alone and the front door unlocked and easily accesible. There a conflicting reports of whether the door was unlocked or broken into.
Watch the video to learn one simple method that can stop a criminal from committing violent crimes against our church secretary.
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