Man breaks into Winnipeg church, steals money from donation box: police

A file image of the Winnipeg Police Service taken on Dec. 24, 2019. (Source: CTV News Winnipeg)

Winnipeg police say a man broke into a Winnipeg church in the West End and made off with money from the donation box.

Police said it happened just after 10:30 p.m. on Sunday. Officers were called to the church, located in the 1000 block of Ellice Avenue, after an alarm went off.

When they got there, the officers found a broken basement window and a damaged donation box inside. Police said the suspect took off shortly before officers arrived.

This led to a search for the man, with multiple units coming to help. It was the canine unit that sniffed out the suspect about an hour after the break-in. He was found in the 900 block of Dominion Street – just a few blocks from the church.

The man was found carrying money, though police would not say how much. It was seized as evidence and police said the man was arrested without incident.

He is facing charges including break enter and theft and was also wanted on a warrant for failing to attend court.

Police said the man was detained in police custody.