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Three young men have been arrested for a string of recent burglaries at three Danville churches.
Fairview United Methodist Church, on Westover Drive, was broken into June 25 and again Monday; Brush Arbor, on Blair Loop Road, was also broken into on both of those dates, and Woodlawn Baptist Church was burglarized Monday.
Danville Police have arrested Matthew Ryan Sutterlin, 20, of Danville and Seth Thomas Blackwell, 19, of Pelham, N.C., in the burglaries. A 17-year-old male has also been arrested; his name was not released because he is a juvenile.
Sutterlin has been charged with the June 25 burglary and petit larceny at Brush Arbor Baptist and with burglary and grand larceny at Fairview United Methodist church on the same day.
He is also charged in three break-ins Monday, with burglary, possession of burglary and malicious damage at Brush Arbor Baptist church; burglary and grand larceny at Fairview United Methodist Church and burglary and malicious damage at Woodlawn Baptist Church.
Blackwell is also accused of being involved in all of the burglaries. For those that took place on June 25, he is charged with burglary, grand larceny and use of a scanner during a felony at Fairview United Methodist Church and burglary, grand larceny and malicious damage at Brush Arbor Baptist Church.
For the Monday burglaries, Blackwell faces charges of burglary and grand larceny at Woodlawn Baptist Church; attempted burglary and malicious damage at Brush Arbor Baptist Church and burglary and grand larceny at Fairview United Methodist Church.
A fourth man, Joseph Neal Moore, 20, of Pittsylvania County, is currently being sought by the police for the June 25 burglary and petit larceny at Brush Arbor Baptist Church.
Police are asking anyone with information about the whereabouts of Moore to call 911.
General information about these incidents can be phoned in to Danville Crime Stoppers at (434) 792-0000. Residents who contact Crime Stoppers by phone may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
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Reader Reactions
i dont know what to say about this, matt is a friend of mine, i never even heard of this throughout the months that he was doing this. i hope he learns a good a lesson and stays out of trouble, hes a good person.
Well said, “countrygirl”. Couldnt agree more.
To supermommy1207, I would like to say naturally you are upset about what your brother has gotten himself into. To vandalize and rob churches is not something that you would expect a good upstanding citizen to get involved in. No one knows why these decisions were acted upon. It is, however, important that you and your family get it together before someone has to be hospitalized. There is nothing that you can do to prevent the unkind comments that the writers make. This site is here to allow people to use their right to free speech, but that doesn’t mean you have to agree with what they say.
I work in a field where I am involved with people who have disobeyed the law, and I don’t think your brother will get a life sentence which is what you apparently feel. I think the children in the family will get to know him and he will still be with his family after this is over. However, it was not very thoughtful of your brother to not realize what his actions would do to his loved ones. I haven’t met a person yet who is incarcerated and says he thought about the consequences and did the crime anyway. Regrets come when that cell door slams behind you and you have nothing but time to think about what you have done.
Hopefully, your brother will learn from these crimes if found guilty, and not make another decision like this again. My thoughts and prayers are with your family, but you cannot expect citizens to be on your brother’s side and say he is a wonderful person. There is so much crime on the streets now that it makes everyone happy to see people caught when they break the law. This is because we are safer when the bad guys are locked up.
My suggestion to you is that you not read what is being said about your brother because it will only hurt you and make you angry. He is your brother and you love him, but he has to have his day in court since he has chosen to put himself on the wrong side of the law.
Supermommy1207 said: “what he supposedly did though does not make him a “scumbag”. he was a volunteer fireman, an A honor roll graduate student attending college, a member of the humane society and a good boy with a big heart that started running around with the wrong people and POSSIBLY made these very poor decisions.“
No offense lady, but if your brother was as smart as you seem to think he is, would be be breaking into churches and stealing? Nah. He would still be a volunteer fireman, going to school, helping the Humane Society and being a good boy with a big heart. But no, he’s an adult…an adult that chose to break the law in a major way, and he has people like you, the excusers and enablers willing to take his side and put the blame off on others people.
The story of granny and your son saying “guncle” and rescue squads and all that assorted lot is touching, and although you’re trying to pull at some heartstrings with that pitiful tale of the family fallout of this tragic news, I’m not buying it. Oh believe me, I don’t doubt you believe what you’re saying—but trying to create sadness for sympathy doesn’t work for everybody, least with me anyway.
To me, people who desecrate churches and cemeteries are the lowest of the low. If he’s found guilty, your brother should have to repair all the damage he did and pay back every penny, then sleep at the jail every night until his sentence is done.
Stop blaming the world for your brother. As long as you continue to be an enabler, he’ll always be just what he is right now…a punk.
I do not know if these boys are guilty or not. However, If they are, they need to pay the price, and if the family members are upset and hurt, they need to keep in mind who did this. You have no right to blame anybody who posts here for the actions of your family member.
Well ya know what? Blame your a**hole boneheaded brother not me lady! I don’t care what he was what he did makes him a scumbag in my book! Why don’t you turn your anger at the person who deserves it - your brother - he caused all the misery for your family not me - he’s the one who made you all “victims” not me. I’m sure your hurt but not by my actions. I’m sure he does “regret it” now that he’s caught. He didn’t seem to “regret” his actions or feel too terribly to stop after just the first time now did he? Now he has to face the music - we all have to face the consequences of our actions I have plenty of times. I got in trouble myself when I was young and I had to pay my debt to society and so shall he. Oh and btw no need to be quite so upset - he didn’t kill anybody - do you think he’s going to get life? Not anywhere near it in fact if he was such a stellar citizen as you say he’ll probably end up with probation. Just put the blame where it belongs and that’s not here.
well i guess the saying is true… “opinions are like a**holes… everyone has got one”. you know, there’s really no words to describe how i feel after reading this comment string. like lsmx3 said, these young men are human beings. they are someone’s son. someone’s brother. one of them in fact, is MY brother. and lsmx3’s son. my brother made a horrible mistake. absolutely terrible and he knows it and deeply regrets it. what he supposedly did though does not make him a “scumbag”. he was a volunteer fireman, an A honor roll graduate student attending college, a member of the humane society and a good boy with a big heart that started running around with the wrong people and POSSIBLY made these very poor decisions. you have no idea what our family is going through right now… i have watched my mother cry non stop for the past week almost for her child that she may never get to touch again. i watched my 73 year old grandmother last night completely have a nervous breakdown over “her baby, her baby”. yes, he’s always been “her baby” and we ending up calling the rescue squad before the night was over with. dont worry, she’s alright. i watched my 19 month old son see my brother’s photo on the news and say, “guncle, guncle” (that’s what he calls my brother) and not stop asking for him for the next few hours. i cant help but think about the fact that all three of my children may possibly never know my brother. and since i’m on the families of the accused… let’s talk about me… i have now become the backbone for the majority of my family when all i really want to do is cry myself. this is my baby brother you’re talking about so hatefully and i dont much appreciate it. you owe my mother and my whole family an apology and THATS my opinion. WEEEE (the rest of my family) havent done ANYTHING wrong and yet we are still victims of some sort. the victims or ruthless, careless, insensitive comments from people that have no idea WHAT or WHO they are talking about or hurting. so thanks so much for your “opinion” but it’s completely unwelcome. i hope you feel all warm and fuzzy inside to know that the first public opinion my mother has heard about her child tore her heart apart all over again. thank you so much for that.
Regardless of “forgiveness” You do the crime you do the time. If you ask me (and I did) regardless of wether or not your religious it takes a special kind of scumbag to break into and steal and vandalize churches.
Guilty or innocent, each of these young men are a child of God and each of them are also someone’s son, grandson, brother, etc.
Young people often do things they later regret deeply. Sometimes this is the very thing that leads them to the Lord.
As true Christians, we are taught to hate the sin, not the sinner. We should all be praying for the victims of the crimes, but we should also be praying for young men who stand accused and the people who love them.
Let us not forget what The Holy Bible tells us…“Your heavenly Father will forgive you if you forgive those who sin against you; but if you refuse to forgive them, He will not forgive you.“ Matthew 6:14-15
Judgment and vengeance truly do belong to the Lord.
I do not know if these men are guilty. But IF they are, they should be prosecuted fully, with no suspended sentences, no leniency. Someone who has no respect for God, deserves no respect from Gods people. Period. EOS.
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