2 Charged With Breaking Safe, Robbing Church In West Bloomfield
WEST BLOOMFIELD (WWJ) - Two men are behind bars in Oakland County, charged with robbing a Catholic church.
According to West Bloomfield police, 30-year-old Rani Dawoud, of West Bloomfield, and his friend, 43-year-old Dean Buchs, of Detroit, were determined to get away with some cash from the Saint Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church on West Maple on Monday.
West Bloomfield Detective Curt Lawson says the pair made several failed attempts before achieving their goal.
"They tried to actually fish money out of the receptacle where people can donate money. They tried that for several minutes," Lawson said. "They ended up leaving and came back at 4 a.m. with some tools and they gained entry to the back portion of the grotto by forcing open a door."
Once they got it, Lawson said, the crooks were able to break into a safe.
Lawson said several tips received from the public this week led to the arrests.
Dawoud and Buchs were each charged by Oakland County prosecutors with one count of safe breaking, which could mean up to life in prison, and one count of breaking and entering, a 10-year felony.
Each was arraigned Friday and is being held on a $100,000 bond.
Police won't say how much money the pair allegedly took from the church.