Man Arrested for Church Burglary at St. Patricks

Suffolk County Police Monday February 13, 2017 arrested a man who burglarized a Huntington church this past weekend.

Second Precinct officers responded to a 911 call of a disturbance at Huntington Hospital, located at 270 Park Ave., at approximately 9:15 a.m.  When officers arrived, they found Jeffrey Nekola in possession of several religious items, including a wooden cross, a religious pendant, and a pyx, which is a small container used to carry The Eucharist. 

Officers contacted Church of St. Patrick and discovered that the items were stolen from the church, located at 400 Main St., sometime between February 10 and February 13, 2017.  Following an investigation by Second Squad detectives, Nekola, 61, undomiciled, was charged with Burglary 3^rd Degree and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 4^th Degree.

Nekola will be held at the Second Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on February 14, 2017.

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.