Recent crimes at the sites of advertised fundraisers -- a Catholic school and a Lutheran church -- in one central Minnesota city have authorities suspecting that the two incidents are related.
Sometime overnight between Saturday and Sunday, someone broke into St. John's Catholic School in Foley and left behind damaged items in the main office, according to the Benton County Sheriff's Office. Nothing was missing.
Late Sunday morning at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church, checks and cash collected during the worship offering were stolen, the sheriff's office said.
A suspicious person was seen in the church about the time of the theft, the sheriff's office said.
The school and church, about seven blocks apart, held advertised fundraisers shortly before the crimes, the sheriff's office said.
"It is recommended that anyone conducting advertised fundraisers take the steps to secure any funds raised and remove them from the fundraising site as soon as possible," Chief Deputy Troy Heck said in a statement.
PAUL WALSH
