Robbins man in custody for breaking into Mount Greenwood church

CHICAGO – A Robbins man is in custody for robbing a Mount Greenwood church Friday.

According to church leaders, the suspect attempted to steal precious relics and other items belonging to St. Christina.

A church volunteer alerted police to the break-in, and officers quickly arrested the suspect. Witnesses said the suspect appeared to be having a mental health crisis.

“It was really sad on many levels,” said Fr. Ryan Brady, who saw the suspect as police pulled him into a squad car in the 3300 block of West 111th Street around 5:30 a.m. Friday. “This is really a sacred place and for it to be violated, it broke some hearts.”

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The suspect, identified by police as 57-year-old David Randich, faces one count of burglary and one count of criminal damage to property.

Among all the broken objects and precious relics, damaged or still missing, Brady saw a desperate human being.

“He was desperate and that despair came from a mental illness,” he said. “My every hope and prayer is that as we recover from this, we can pray for people who suffer from mental illness.”

Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th Precinct), investigated the damage and investigators said the suspect allegedly broke the bathroom window Friday morning. For reasons that are not yet clear, the suspect severely damaged a Thanksgiving food pantry the parish had set up.

Despite this, O’Shea and others are proud of how the community of St. Christina and Brady came together for a deeper understanding.

“Rathering his flock together, turning something so negative into something so positive,” O’Shea said.

“We will be able to use this opportunity to share with families and the community how we can address mental illness,” added Brady.

To replace damaged items in the pantry, Brady is asking people to bring non-perishable food items to Sunday church services as a way to help others in need this holiday season.

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