Police Searching For Man Who Broke Into Mosque, Stole Money From Donation Bins
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Police are asking for the public's help to identify the man wanted in a burglary of a local mosque.
Police are investigating two burglaries of a mosque on the 7200 block of Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia.
Surveillance video catches the suspect on two separate occasions five days apart: the same man, in the same way, breaks into the mosque of the Islamic Society of Greater Philadelphia and steals cash from donation bins secured to the wall.
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Some worshippers say this burglar may have pretended to pray at this mosque before in order to learn the layout.
"This is one thing that shouldn't be done and shouldn't be tolerated," said Abdus-Sabur Darrisaw, who worships at the mosque.
The man is first caught on camera burglarizing the house of worship on July 12 and then again on July 17.
"I felt bad. I felt bad for the person too. He might need a lot of help," Shakeel said.
Shakeel says one of the donation boxes is for charity; the other is for zakat, considered a religious obligation for the wealthy.
"This is not the way to do it. He can just come in and ask for money. We will help him," Shakeel said.
Philadelphia Police Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum says the man also tried to break into a safe on the floor with scissors but couldn't get it open; the suspect even took a drink of water from the mosque on his way out.
"He obviously knows where he's going in the mosque and that was one of the concerns of the staff there," Rosenbaum told Eyewitness News.
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And while the mosque will make security changes, some worshippers are hoping the suspect has a change of heart.
"It's un-Islamic," Darrisaw said. "Think about the consequences of what can happen to you. Not just here but we think in terms of life after death."
Both times, the man got away on a BMX bike. He's described as a black man about 5-foot-10 or 6 feet tall in his late 20s or 30s. If you recognize this man, call Northeast Detectives.