Staff Writer

Thieves damaged a local church in a break-in but apparently didn't find much to steal.

The break-in at Mitchell Chapel Baptist Church on 381 Kelly Road was discovered Tuesday.

A church member told Deputy Tim Gaston that someone damaged the programmable thermostat, the fax/copier machine and rambled through file cabinets. Other items in the church were overturned.

Damage was estimated at $270. Nothing was reported missing at the time of the report.

Fraudulent check

A man is accused of writing a bad check for over $1,000 to the Union County Delinquent Tax Office.

David Boyd Fowler, 53, of 159 Greenway Ave. was arrested Tuesday by the Union County Sheriff's Office. Fowler turned himself in at the Union County Jail and was released on $500 personal recognizance bond.

According to a report, Union County Delinquent Tax Collector Harriette Belk told Deputy Tim Gaston that on Sept. 18, Fowler wrote a fraudulent check for $1,042 on an Arthur State Bank account.

Fowler failed to make restitution to the office after proper notice.

Charged in car theft

Marcus Jerome Ruth, 23, of 119 Hillside Drive, Union, was charged Tuesday by the Union Public Safety Department with grand larceny.

According to a warrant signed by Lt. Charles Henderson, Ruth is accused of taking a 1997 Ford Explorer from 112 Hillside Drive on May 13, having the vehicle crushed at Lucky's Scrap Metal and accepting money for it.

Money stolen

Two students at Union County High School have reported that money was stolen from them.

Both cases were reported Tuesday to Cpl. Jerome Beatty, school resource officer.

A 16-year-old boy told Beatty that someone took $40 out of his personal belongings in the locker room during third block class while he was lifting weights.

A 16-year-old girl told Beatty someone took $13 from her purse during first block. The girl said she left her purse on her desk while she completed her assignments and didn't realize until class was over that the money was gone.