Man accused of stealing from church

Montgomery City police suspect a homeless man of stealing equipment from a church.

Cody Lee Smith allegedly broke into First United Methodist Presbyterian Church on North Columbus Street in Montgomery City on Mach 9.

The items taken were a desktop computer, a Kitchen Aid mixer, a Bunn commercial coffee maker, a BluRay /DVD player and a TV. In all the total came to $1,450 in total property stolen, police said.

Police used surveillance footage from the church to identify Smith as the suspect, police said. Further investigation revealed that Smith was selling the items on his personal Facebook page, according to court documents.

Police interrogated Smith while he was in jail in Vandalia and asked an officer to apologize to the church on his behalf. His bond was set at $20,000 cash-only. It wasn’t clear whether he’s been booked in Montgomery County.

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