Covington Police Search for Burrowing Burglar

COVINGTON, Ga. - It was an elaborate break-in from a church to a pawn shop and through three walls.

Someone broke first broke into Jesus and Me Ministries before cutting the drywall to get into Alcovy Jewelry and Pawn next door.

Pastor Frank Kelton showed FOX 5’s George Franco where the thieves burrowed through the wall in the bathroom and the dry wall was cut away in the main sanctuary.

"They went through the wall in the sanctuary here into the pawn shop," said Pastor Kelton as he pointed to the wall cut in the main sanctuary.

Next door at Alcovy Jewelry and Pawn, manager Sandra Caskey, showed off the spot in their bathroom where the dry wall was also cut away. She still doesn't understand exactly what the crook was up to.

Caskey: "I thought they were after guns, but they didn't take any.”
Franco: “What did they get?”
Caskey: “A dollar and a quarter in quarters."

She said unsecured computers and TV's were left alone. Surveillance video showed the crook tried to steal guns locked in a cabinet. She said he then snatched the small change and quickly left, leaving weapons which weren't locked up. She's concerned after friends who own pawn shops had weapons stolen there.

"This week alone, I've heard of two others. If the police had not shown up he probably would have taken quite a few guns," said Caskey.

She figures the crook was spooked when police responded within minutes of the alarm.

Captain Ken Malcom of the Covington Police Department said they are still trying to determine if the pawn shop break-in could be connected to pawn shop break-ins in other parts metro Atlanta.

Next door, Pastor Kelton said a quick inventory showed nothing was taken.

"They could have took our organ, our stereo's our PA system, our DVD recorder," said Kelton.

He said the expensive electronics were left alone by a crook who got away this time.

"You always gotta give account for what you did. Man may not see it but god sees all," said Kelton.

Covington Police are asking anyone with any information to give them a call.