A man has been arrested in connection with a burglary at Our Lady of the Pillar Church in Half Moon Bay, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office has confirmed. The suspect, identified as 58-year-old Half Moon Bay resident Shawn M. Decosta, was apprehended last Saturday, following an investigation into the theft reported last Monday.
According to a press release by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, witnesses reported spotting a man taking money from a secured candle stand in the chapel. Deputies responding to the scene gathered witness statements and sifted through evidence, including surveillance footage that placed Decosta at the scene of the crime.
Law enforcement databases assisted in identifying the suspect, who was also picked out from a photo lineup by a witness. Decosta's arrest led to the recovery of clothing matching that seen in the video and a tool suspected to have been used in the burglary.
