Suspect in church break-in jailed

By Elise Franco

The man suspected in a string of township church thefts has at least 13 other warrants out for his arrest.

AUSTINTOWN — The man who police said is responsible for at least one of the recent church break-ins is in the custody of Ontario, Ohio, police. Ontario is west of Mansfield in Richland County.

Michael C. McCutcheon, 36, of Youngstown, was arrested by Ontario officers Jan. 20 after a three-day-long string of purse thefts.

Ontario Police Lt. Randy Hutchinson said one of the department’s officers was able to make the arrest based on a description of the suspect.

He said McCutcheon is being held on 10 felony charges, including theft, fleeing and alluding, driving a stolen vehicle and possessing stolen licences plates.

“We’re finalizing our case right now,” Hutchinson said. “We’re going to try to get our case down to the prosecutor this week.”

He said the suspect has at least 13 other warrants outstanding for various offenses, most in the Youngstown area.

Austintown Police Chief Robert Gavalier said his department issued a warrant for McCutcheon on Jan. 12 in relation to the Jan. 2 break-in at Crossroads Church on South Meridian Road.

An undetermined amount of coins was stolen from the church. The charge is felony burglary.

Gavalier said detectives are investigating to see if McCutcheon is tied to a Nov. 4 break-in at Lynkirk Church of Christ on Kirk Road and the break-ins at Highway Tabernacle on South Raccoon Road — one between Nov. 3 and 4 and the second on Dec. 21.

Austintown Detective Dan Kosco said the department collaborated with the Youngstown and Coitsville police departments to identify McCutcheon as a suspect.

“We were speaking to some of the Youngstown and Coitsville detectives, and they gave me a name,” he said.

Kosco said that after the suspect was identified, he brought in the pastor from Crossroads Church who saw the suspect in the church office on the day of the crime.

“[He] picked him out of a photo lineup,” he said.

Kosco said when McCutcheon will be extradited to Austintown depends on the Ontario courts system.

“He’s going to be down there for a while on their charges, and eventually he’ll be brought up here for his [preliminary] hearing,” he said.

efranco@vindy.com