Burglar who targeted a church in Jacksonville has been apprehended

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A man is in jail after police said he broke in and burglarized eight Jacksonville churches, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post Wednesday. 

35-year-old Jose Ortiz was arrested and charged with multiple counts of burglary and violation of probation after JSO investigators said he broke into multiple churches in Northwest Jacksonville, calling him a “serial church burglar.”

Patrol officers made him out to be the suspect of the church break-ins after stopping and arresting him on unrelated charges.

JSO said their detectives are working to return the items stolen.

JSO did not specify when the break-ins or the arrest occurred, or what was taken from the churches.