Nov 19, 2013 2 min read

Canonsburg police are investigating burglaries late Sunday or early Monday at a church and automotive business located next to each other on South Central Avenue.

The director of a preschool at South Canonsburg Church, 12 S. Central Ave., discovered the burglary at the church before 7 a.m. Monday, police said. She entered her office and found drawers had been opened.

She then called her husband, and they checked the rest of the church, discovering areas had been rummaged through. When they found a broken window on the south side of the church, they called police.

Police were checking outside the church when they discovered a broken window on the north side of Canon Automotive, 14 S. Central Ave.

An employee of the preschool told police she had come in Sunday night and found the open drawers but did not think anything about it.

The burglar who broke into the automotive store apparently climbed onto a cabinet and turned aside a security camera.

A crowbar was used to break out a window and enter an office where a safe is located. The owners of the shop reported cash and a check from a customer for work done on a vehicle were stolen from the safe. A wrench was used to break into the cash register and steal more cash. No tools were stolen.

Stolen from the church were a small amount of cash and two $15 gift cards.

Canonsburg police Sgt. Al Coghill said it is likely the church was burglarized before 10:30 p.m. Sunday, when the employee discovered the open drawers.

“It is likely both were burglarized in the same time frame,” Coghill said.

Anyone who might have information or saw someone suspicious in that area is asked to call Coghill at 724-745-8020, ext. 2411.