Burglary at Leesburg church leads to arrest of Northern Virginia man
Man accused of stealing from Leesburg church arrested
A man accused of stealing from a church in Leesburg is facing charges.
LEESBURG, Va. - A Northern Virginia man is facing charges following a months-long investigation into a burglary at a local church.
What we know:
Leesburg Police announced the arrest of Cengiz Camlicay Tuesday. Authorities said he broke into the Seventh-day Adventist Church, located on the 700 block of Dry Mill Road, by going through a window on March 19.
Cengiz Camlicay was arrested in connection with a church burglary in Leesburg.
Once inside, property was damaged, and an undisclosed number of items were stolen, police said. Police have not publicly identified the specific items taken, citing the ongoing investigation.
Security footage ultimately helped investigators crack the case after both police and church members recognized the suspect in the video.
The delay in the arrest occurred because Camlicay was in custody in Howard County on unrelated charges and had to be extradited to Virginia to face the burglary charges, officials said.
What they're saying:
Michele Bowman with the Leesburg Police Department said that the department has not seen any similar cases recently, emphasizing the gravity of the incident.
"Anytime anybody is a victim of a crime, and burglary is a very, it’s a very personal crime and especially at a faith-based congregation, a church, synagogue, you know, we obviously take that, we take it very seriously," Bowman said.
Camlicay is currently being held without bond.
Fox 5 reached out to the Seventh-day Adventist Church for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
The Source: This information is from Leesburg Police and FOX 5 DC reporting.