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A 21-year-old Matthews man was arrested in connection with an overnight church break-in that left a school on lockdown today.
Matthews police say William Jared Harrison was arrested about 2:30 a.m. at Carmel Baptist Church, where a burglar alarm had sounded a short time earlier.
He was taken into custody shortly after officers arrived at the church, on Pineville-Matthews Road at Reverdy Lane. But police searched the church for several more hours, after witnesses told them they saw one or two other suspects running from the scene this morning.
That search continued until about 8 a.m., and it forced officials at Carmel Christian School, which is operated by Carmel Baptist, to start classes at 10 a.m. -- an hour later than usual. The school remained on lockdown today, with doors locked to outsiders and police officers at the school. Police said they believe the suspects fled, but they conducted the lockdown as a precaution.
During the overnight search, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police helped Matthews officers go door to door at buildings in the sprawling church campus. Other officers set up a perimeter on the property and searched nearby neighborhoods on Reverdy Lane. Police also brought in their K-9 dog search units.
A number of parents were turned away this morning when they brought their children to school at the normal time. Officers stood at the entrance to the church parking lot, on Reverdy Lane, and told parents that classes would begin later than usual
Matthews police say Carmel Baptist was victimized by burglars Wednesday night, with electronics, including a flat screen TV, stolen. Matthews detectives said they consider Harrison a suspect in that case, too.
Harrison's criminal record shows at least four arrests since December 2006. The charges against him include felony robbery last September.
