4 boys arrested in church burglaries

Four teenage boys were arrested Thursday afternoon in connection with 10 area church burglaries in the past three weeks, Brainerd and Baxter police officials said.

The arrests were made after tips from the public were received by the Baxter and Brainerd police departments. The suspects - a 16-year-old East Gull Lake boy, a 16-year-old Brainerd boy, a 17-year-old Baxter boy and a 17-year-old Crow Wing Township boy - were interviewed and arrested on probable cause of burglary Thursday afternoon, police said. They then were arrested at the Brainerd Police Department.

The suspects, all high school students in the Brainerd School District, are being held in the Central Minnesota Juvenile Center, police said. Formal criminal charges from the county attorney's office are expected to be filed Friday afternoon.

"The public really came through," Brainerd Police Chief John Bolduc said. "We asked for help in solving these crimes and their tips brought us to this point."

Added Baxter Police Chief Jim Exsted: "It's a big sigh of relief. We hoped getting it out to the public sector would help. I think that was the key."

Bolduc said it was not clear if more people were involved, but said the four boys arrested were the main suspects. "We feel fairly confident this string of crimes has come to a conclusion," Bolduc said.

Because they are juveniles, the names of the suspects weren't released. Because the investigation wasn't complete Thursday afternoon, Bolduc declined to comment on possible motives, recovered items or whether the suspects admitted their participation in the burglaries.

From Nov. 16 through Tuesday, seven burglary attempts were made at six churches in Baxter - Lakes Area Christian Church, Heartland Alliance Church, Family of Christ Lutheran School and Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Christ Lutheran Church the Lake Region Christian School. At Lakes Area Christian Church, no entry was made. At the other churches, cash and electronic items were stolen. Heartland Alliance Church was broken into twice.

About a week ago, it was reported that Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa was broken into. On Sunday, it was reported to Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department that Hope Baptist Ministries on Wise Road was broken into, and on Tuesday, it was reported that St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Brainerd was broken into.

Howard Reed, a former pastor and current board member at Heartland Alliance Church in Baxter, said church members felt invaded by the burglaries and he was happy to hear of the arrests.

"It's a good thing it's over. It will be better for us now to not have to worry about it. There is quite a bit of damage here and it will take quite of bit of work to get it back to order again," Reed said. "We feel sorry for the people who did it, too, that they would have an attitude like that. Our prayers go out to them and we hope they can get some help."

Exsted said the burglaries had concerned church leaders who were reluctant to change their open-door policies, especially during the Christmas season.

"They're there to serve people, but they were especially nervous," Exsted said.

Bolduc and Exsted credited the joint investigative effort of police officers in Brainerd, Baxter and Nisswa, as well as Crow Wing County sheriff's deputies.

MATT ERICKSON can be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.