DNA match 7 years later solves Unity church burglary, troopers say
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Timothy Thunberg, pastor of Free Methodist Church in Unity, admitted he was alarmed when the caller ID showed an incoming telephone call from state police in Greensburg.
“You never know what to expect from that,” Thunberg said.
He said he never anticipated word of an arrest in a 7-year-old burglary at the rural church along Toppers Road.
“Truly, I thought that was a dead issue … . But I am glad we can finally have some closure on it,” Thunberg said.
Troopers this week charged Brandon J. Pollard, 25, of Latrobe in connection with an overnight break-in at the church on July 22, 2013. Pollard faces counts of burglary, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and institutional vandalism.
According to court documents, troopers linked Pollard to the burglary from DNA obtained from a garden glove found on the sanctuary floor along with a crowbar and hammer left at the scene.
Pollard entered the church by breaking a basement window, troopers said. He is accused of ransacking the pastor’s office, chapel and administration office.
A chapel window also was broken. Police reports do not indicate if anything was stolen.
DNA in the palm of the glove found a tentative match with Pollard, Trooper Zachary Bell reported in court documents. Troopers in June obtained a warrant to obtain another DNA sample from Pollard.
“On Aug. 3, the (state police forensic laboratory) reported DNA collected from Pollard matches the profile on the left-hand blue glove located at the scene of this incident,” Bell wrote.
Attempts to reach Pollard for comment were unsuccessful.
The former Greensburg resident pleaded guilty in November in a third DUI case and was sentenced to one year on home arrest, according to court records.
“Fortunately, we’ve not had any further incidents like that. But I’m glad we can put this one behind us now,” said Thunberg, pastor of Free Methodist since 2009.