Church Member Confronts Burglary Suspect: Police

A search by police dogs and a helicopter tracked down an Arkansas man charged with breaking into an Annapolis area church.

A member of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 1601 Pleasant Plains Road, called police about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to report a burglary that just occurred.

The church member noticed that a locked door had been forced open and someone had rummaged through desks in the office. Anne Arundel County Police say the church member saw the suspected burglar hiding under or near a desk; when he was confronted, the man fled on foot toward St. Margaret’s Road.

During a search by officers, K-9 units and an aviation unit, the suspect was seen from the air near a garage in the 1600 block of St. Margaret’s Road. Officers found the suspect hiding under a vehicle and arrested him after he was identified by a witness.

Items taken from the church were reportedly found in the suspect’s possession.

Maurice Quentin John, 30, of Fort Smith, Ark., was charged with burglary, theft, and other related offenses.

»Photo of suspect Maurice John, courtesy of Anne Arundel County Police