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Police are searching for a man was caught on video stealing the weekly monetary donations from an elderly parishioner at a Boyle Heights church.
KTLA reports the attempted theft occurred about 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 12, at the Church of Assumption in Boyle Heights. In footage captured by a surveillance camera installed in the parking lot of the church, a man is shown running up behind the 80-year-old parishioner, who was carrying a canvas bag full of the donation money. The man was knocked down to the ground by the robber, who grabbed the bag and ran away. The parishioner was treated for injuries at the scene.
According to the L.A. Times, the bag held about $4,100 in cash, checks and change. The Times also reports that the suspect had been loitering in the parking lot for about 45 minutes prior to the theft, and fled with an accomplice, who had been on the lookout across the parking lot.
City News Service reports the suspect is described as a Hispanic man with a thin build. Those with information should call (323) 342-8900.
It's been a rough couple of months for the Church of Assumption. In December a nun, 70-year-oldSister Raquel Diaz was killed after being struck in a hit-and-run outside the Boyle Heights church.
