An 18-year-old Selma man is facing seven charges, four of them felonies, after a string of break-ins in Marion last week at Berean Missionary Baptist Church, the church’s parsonage and a home on East Dekalb Street.
Ledarious Deon Fincher was arrested by Marion police about 1:15 p.m. Thursday, July 30. He is charged with three counts of burglary in the third degree and one count of criminal mischief in the first degree, all Class C felonies, along with three misdemeanors: theft of property in the fourth degree and two counts of criminal mischief in the second degree.
According to a Marion Police Department release, officers responded to the church on Washington Street about 10:20 a.m. Thursday and found damaged doors, broken windows and signs that someone had gone through several rooms.
No one was on the premises, and nothing appeared to be missing from the church, Pastor Willie Shears and other members told officers.
Police then found the front door of the parsonage next door standing open, with a damaged door and fresh shoe prints inside.
Complaints filed in Perry County District Court on Friday, July 31, allege Fincher entered the church and the parsonage on or about July 28 and 29.
The complaints put the damage at more than $2,500 to the church and between $500 and $2,500 to the parsonage.
A second set of charges followed that evening.
A homeowner returned to his East Dekalb Street house about 7:40 p.m. Thursday, hours after Fincher was already in custody, and found it broken into with his things strewn around inside, according to a second police release.
The homeowner told police that the New York Giants jersey and $300 pair of running shoes Fincher was wearing in his booking photo were his, taken from the house.
The complaint in that case alleges Fincher entered the home about 9 a.m. Thursday and took the running shoes and a white Eli Manning Giants jersey, together valued at $450, and damaged a screen door, a window and a dresser.
Case records filed July 31 show Fincher was in jail, with bond set at $25,000 in the church case and $13,500 in the house case, $38,500 in all.
Police said he is being held in the Bibb County Jail.
In a post on its Facebook page, the church thanked the police department for the arrest and said it was thankful no one was hurt.
