A Ruffsdale man charged with breaking into one Irwin church is a suspect in a theft from another church.
Irwin police Chief Joe Pocsatko said Tuesday that Jeremy Ray Minnick is a suspect in the April 22 theft of a purse and a car from a parishioner at First United Methodist Church.
"He was questioned and refused to give a statement, claiming he has a 50-bag-a-day heroin addiction," Pocsatko said in an email. "Although we are waiting for forensic evidence to return, as we had the (Westmoreland County) Records and Identification Unit process the car for evidence."
Minnick, 26, was arrested Monday in North Huntingdon Township on charges of receiving stolen property and access device fraud.
He later also was arraigned on an outstanding warrant from state police in Greensburg on charges of theft by unlawful taking-movable property, receiving stolen property, forgery, bad checks and access device fraud.
Minnick also faces charges of criminal attempt-tampering with property and criminal attempt-theft by unlawful taking.
Those charges were filed by Irwin police for an attempted break-in of a collection box April 21 at Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church, about a block from First United Methodist.
There also were reports of a drifter loitering in the washroom of another downtown church April 22.
"I am not aware of any other church-related incidents other than the burglary and theft of the Immaculate Conception Church (last summer)," Pocsatko said.
Minnick is not a suspect in that incident in which someone removed a safe, then took $7,500 in cash and checks before abandoning the safe in the kitchen area of the church.
"Forensic evidence has been obtained revealing another suspect in that investigation," Pocsatko said.
Minnick is in Westmoreland County Prison in lieu of bond, awaiting a preliminary arraignment Friday at 9 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Douglas R. Weimer Jr. in North Huntingdon Township.
He also faces hearings Monday at 10 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Charles D. Moore in Scottdale on the state police warrant and before Weimer May 23 at 9:45 a.m. on the Irwin and North Huntingdon counts.
