JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A suspect police are calling a “serial church burglar” is behind bars Thursday.

Six churches in Northwest Jacksonville were broken into in 10 days last month, according to police, and some of them were hit more than once. Jose Ortiz, Jr., 35, is charged with the crimes.

The stolen items range from a turkey fryer to TVs, according to police and pastors at the churches. The pastors said if the person who broke in had just asked them for some items or for help, they would have given it to them.

“I was very shocked that the churches were being targeted for break-ins,” said Nickey Kelly, the executive pastor at The Breakthrough Center Church.

Kelly said her church and storage shed have now been broken into three times.

“They didn’t just break in like they did the first time,” Kelly said. “They ranshacked, broke glasses.”

Kelly showed First Coast News a vending machine that was smashed and empty and a fridge with a lock broken off of it.

“We had meats in the freezer where we give back to the community, they stole all the meat out of the freezer that we had,” Kelly said. “We do outreach where we give back to the homeless, we feed them, we clothes them. They took all the clothes for the homeless.”

Just like at Kelly’s church, at New Redeemed Church of God in Christ, Pastors Wayne Milliner and Steven Camp said their storage shed was also broken into first then another time, TVs and meat in the fridge were stolen, among other items.

“It really is an upsetting thing that you work so hard to try to do things in the neighborhood and work for the people to help them in any way you can,” Milliner said. “And then people will take time and do something like that to try to destroy what God has put together.”

“All they had to do was ask,” Camp said. “If anybody come and actually need something, if we can provide it, we give it to them.”

“My thought was like, ‘You broke into a church, a place of healing, a place for refuge, a place for help?’” Kelly said. “I mean, we had the resources. Even if you were less fortunate and you needed something, you could’ve came here. We would’ve provided it for you.”

Kelly said Jacksonville’s church community is helping each other.

“We are a loving family so we came together and we’re rebuilding together,” she said.

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said they are working to return stolen items to the churches.

Kelly said she believes there had to be more than one burglar because of the size of some of the stolen items, including tables and TVs, and the number taken. First Coast News asked police this and they said the burglary cases are now cleared due to Ortiz’s arrest.