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An Austin man has been arrested and charged with felony burglary as well as a pair of lesser counts for allegedly breaking into and stealing from a local church.

Jacob Michael Turvey, 45, made a first appearance in Mower County District Court Wednesday to face felony second degree burglary for breaking into a government, religious historic or school building without consent, gross misdemeanor theft and misdemeanor damage to property.

He is currently being held in the Mower County Jail on $50,000 bail/bond without conditions.

According to the court complaint, police were dispatched to Christ Episcopal Church at around 3:52 p.m. on April 27 when witnesses at the church reported a missing laptop. One of the witnesses stated that security footage showed a man walking around the church at around 3:11 a.m. on April 24 and then walking away, only to return minutes later with a crowbar to pry a door to the church open.

The man was seen entering one of the offices after prying it open and then leaving around around 3:56 p.m.

A responding officer watched the footage and noted that the man on the video left the church carrying a laptop that was later valued at between $600 and $700 dollars. Five bottles of wine were also discovered to be missing.

The officer then circulated an email stating he believed the individual to be Turvey and two days later at around 12:45 a.m. on April 29 another officer observed Turvey in the 1000 block of 11th Avenue SW riding a bicycle and pulling a trailer.

This second officer noted that Turvey appeared to be wearing the same clothes as the subject on the video, including what appeared to be the same face mask. The officer was also aware that Turvey had an active warrant.

Turvey declined to speak to officers at the time of his arrest and a plain view search of the bicycle and trailer allegedly had a bag filled with what looked to be burglary tools.

A search warrant later obtained by an Austin Police Department detective turned up wrenches, a saw and screw drivers in the trailer. 

Turvey is scheduled for an initial appearance on May 12.