Man Steals Collection Plate from Altar Boy

How low can you go? Just ask the man who stole a collection plate from an altar boy during a service at a Delaware County church Sunday.

It happened around 9:30 a.m. during a morning mass at St. Andrew the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Drexel Hill when a 16-year-old altar boy was walking the collection plate to the rectory, according to Superintendent Michael Chitwood.

Chitwood says a man wearing a ski mask and sunglasses burst into the church and forced the teen to give him the bag of money.

"He [the robber] demanded the money and told him not to look around and to keep on walking," said Chitwood.

Police say the robber was last seen running behind the church in the direction of Mason Avenue.

"This kind of heinous activity is committed by what I call the drags of society, parasites of society..I mean scumbags," said Chitwood.

Parishioners told police they believe the robber attended service moments before he stole the offering.

"They saw him get up around the time of the gospel and walk back to the area where the restrooms were," said Chitwood.

Investigators found the sunglasses and mask worn by the robber in a trash can at a nearby trolley station.

The robber is described as a white male in his 20’s, about 5’6 and wearing a gray hoodie.

No word on how much money was stolen, according to Chitwood.

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