Police: Man stole from churchgoers on Easter

GUILDERLAND — A Guilderland man apparently saw Easter as an opportunity to go on his own search for treats at a local church — through wallets, not eggs, were his quarry, police say.

Police announced Wednesday the arrest of Shaun M. Engel, 28, on charges of fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor.

He is accused of taking a wallet from a car at Lynnwood Reformed Church, 3714 Carman Road, on Easter Sunday and taking a credit card from another, police said.

In one instance, Engel stole a set of keys from a parishioner’s coat pocket and used them to take the man’s wallet from his car, police said.

In another instance that day, he went into an unlocked vehicle in the church parking lot and stole a credit card from another victim’s wallet, police said.

Engel was to be arraigned in Guilderland Town Court.