Homeless Man, Juvenile Charged With Breaking Into Iredell Church

STATESVILLE, NC — A 19-year-old homelss man and a 12-year old boy found with him face charges in Statesville after they were accused of breaking into a church and were later found to be in possession of items stolen from the house of worship, according to the Iredell County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies received an emergency call alerting them to the Feb. 23 break-in at Bright Light Baptist Church, located at 478 Trinity Road in Statesville, from a caller who told them that after he unlocked and entered the church, he heard running in a hallway near the pastor’s office. He was able to give officers a physical description of the two males after he spotted them running away from the church through the cemetery.

Responding officers cleared the church, and then patrolled the area near the church in a search for the two suspects.

“Moments later two subjects matching the suspects’ description were located on Midway Road a short distance from the church,” ICSO said in a statement about the incident. The two were stopped and asked for identification, at which point deputies learned the identities of Jonathan Whitney Ridgeway, 19, and the 12-year-old male accompanying him.

“While speaking with the two suspects, Ridgeway attempted to get away from the deputies and was detained,” ICSO said. “Both suspects were searched and items from the church were located on their person.”

They were taken back to the church, where the caller positively identified them as the suspects seen running from the church. (For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

Ridgeway was transported to the Iredell County Detention Center and was charged with felony breaking and entering a place of worship, felony larceny after breaking and entering, misdemeanor resisting a public officer and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor. His secured bond was set at $40,000.

The 12-year-old will be charged through juvenile services, ICSO said.