A Hempstead man arrested Sunday for allegedly burglarizing the St. Hyacinth Church in Glen Head has also been charged in connection with several other burglaries there and at churches in Glen Cove and Williston Park, Nassau County Police said.
Third Squad detectives said Denis Alvarado, 29, of 50 Jackson Street, had burglarized St. Hyacinth four times dating back to 2013, as well as St. Aidan’s Church in Williston Park in March 2014 and St. Patrick’s Church in Glen Cove last November.
Alvarado was charged with six counts of third-degree burglary, police said. He was arraigned Sunday at First District Court in Hempstead.
Glen Cove police responding to a burglary call from St. Hyacinth arrested Alvarado around 12:46 a.m. Sunday after chasing him through a wooded area near the church.
Officers said Alvarado had taken an undisclosed amount of money from the church’s donation boxes.
Following an investigation, police said Alvarado was also responsible for the other burglaries.
Alvarado allegedly burglarized St. Hyacinth for the first time on Feb. 10, 2013, stealing a guitar and two column speakers.
About a year later, on March 2, 2014, police said Alvarado stole a television set from the alter of St. Aidan’s.
Police said Alvarado stole an iPad, a computer hard drive and an Apple computer from St. Patrick’s Church.
Two weeks later, hit St. Hyacinth for the first of three burglaries that culminated in his arrest Sunday.
On Dec. 1, he allegedly stole an undisclosed amount of money from the church’s donation boxes as well as clothing and other home goods.
Then, on Dec. 21, police said Alvarado stole another undisclosed amount of money from the church’s donation boxes.
