The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to help identify a man suspected in a burglary at The Abbey Church, 10400 Jacksboro Highway in Fort Worth.
The appeal went out Thursday in a Facebook post titled “🚨 RECOGNIZE THIS GUY?” The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who recognizes the man to come forward, share the post or pass along any information that could lead to an arrest. Tips go to Detective Groessel at 817-884-3739. The sheriff’s office has not said what, if anything, was taken from the church.
Who’s handling the case
The case belongs to the sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division, whose detectives are assigned to property crimes, crimes against persons and crimes against children, according to the county. The property crimes caseload covers burglary, theft, criminal mischief, fraud and identity theft. The division also has a crime scene unit, staffed around the clock, that photographs scenes, collects evidence and lifts and compares fingerprints.
Public appeals with surveillance images are a regular tool for the office. In April 2025, for example, it released photos and video of a suspect in an armed robbery at a smoke shop on FM 730 North, and it has also used social media to seek help locating wanted violent offenders.
A congregation built by two scientists
The Abbey Church describes itself as a charismatic congregation that holds Sunday services at 10:30 a.m., according to its website. Its founding pastors, Paul and Perrianne Brownback, both earned bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and master’s degrees in biochemistry and immunology, the church says.
More than 35 years ago, the couple was preparing to leave Fort Worth for doctoral programs when their commitment to a church they attended in the Eagle Mountain Lake area changed their plans. Instead, they became founding pastors of what became The Abbey Church. They still work science analogies into their sermons.
The church takes its name from the abbeys of old, which were communities of faith established to evangelize and serve new regions. It says its outlook was shaped early on by British churches that emphasized serving the wider community beyond the church walls.
What Texas law says about church burglaries
Under Texas Penal Code § 30.02, entering a building that is not open to the public without the owner’s consent, with intent to commit a felony, theft or assault, is burglary. Burglary of a building other than a home, such as a church, is generally a state jail felony, which carries 180 days to two years in a state jail and a fine of up to $10,000.
Prosecutors don’t have to prove anything was actually stolen. The offense is complete once someone enters with the intent to commit a theft or other crime. That distinction matters here, since the sheriff’s office has not said publicly whether anything was taken from the church.
How to submit a tip
Anyone with information can contact Detective Groessel at 817-884-3739. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers of Tarrant County or the P3 Tips app.
