Father and son arrested in Yarnell church burglary
Two men suspected of stealing a cash donation box at a church in Yarnell earlier this month have been arrested, the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said.
Christopher Perkins, 40, and his son Michael Perkins, 19, were arrested Saturday on suspicion of burglary and criminal damage, the Sheriff's Office said. They are suspected of taking the cash box from the Shrine of the Mountain Church, authorities said.
A caretaker previously told officials somebody broke into a cash donation box in the church as an alarm was activated on May 4 at 3 a.m., the Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies investigating the incident were given an anonymous tip that identified the suspects, who they say were captured on surveillance video.
The person providing the tip recognized in the video the clothing worn by one of the suspects, who officials identified as Christopher Perkins, officials said. The tipster believed the second person, who was wearing a ski mask, was Perkins' son, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.
Deputies obtained a search warrant for the suspects' home, in the 22500 block of Highway 89 in Yarnell. Officials said deputies found earmuffs, bolt cutters and a crow bar all matching closely to the items seen in the video.
After being booked, the two men were released on a promise to appear in court at a later date, the news release said.
This was the second time the cash donation box was broken into this year at the church.
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office reported an estimated $700 was stolen in early February. A suspect has not been identified in that case, officials said.
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