21-year old Derfo Anerson is accused of stealing the offerings at the Basilica Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia for a second time. On this occasion, Anerson was caught after stealing RD$4,824 and US$88 from the coffers (ofrendas) located at the main altar of the Basílica Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia.
The Police explained that Anerson is a repeat offender. The Police explained that on the first occasion (in February 2017), Anerson’s father, who said he was a Haitian pastor, came from Haiti to ask the authorities to pardon his son. His son would serve eight months in jail after which Basilica head priest Evaristo Areché acceded and desisted from proceeding with the robbery case. After he was released, it is known that Anerson did not return to Haiti with his father.
This repeat offender was caught once again with cash, after breaking open the box that contained the week’s offerings that the parishioners were leaving the church, which is the largest in the Caribbean.
Church security had been watching Anerson when he allegedly pocketed a bottle of perfume a faithful parishioner had left at the image of the virgin in the church. The suspected pilfering of the perfume led to a more thorough search of Anerson.
Colonel Cruz González said to commit this sacrilege and robbery, Anerson used tweezers to open the lock of the offerings box and remove the envelopes with the cash.
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Listin Diario
9 July 2018
