GIBSON STATION, Va. - A break-in at a church in the Gibson Station section of Lee County Thursday night has led to the arrest of a Harrogate, Tenn., man and outstanding warrants on another Harrogate resident.

The Gibson Station Baptist Church was broken into around 7 p.m. and the collection box was taken, according to Lee County Sheriff Gary Parsons.

“The collection box turned out to be empty” said Parsons.

A concerned citizen gave Officer Bobby Slusher a description of a pickup truck leaving the scene around that time.

According to Parsons, later in the evening around 9:30 p.m. Sgt. Bobby Ellis saw two men walking near the entrance to Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Ellis approached the two but one ran into the woods. Ellis was able to subdue the other man, who had cuts and glass particles in his arms.

The man subdued was Ronnie Rose, 23, of Harrogate.

“Rose quickly confessed to his crime and led officers to the stolen money box and admitted they had hidden their truck,” Parsons said.

Rose was charged with breaking and entering and attempted grand larceny and was released on an unsecured bond by the magistrate.

There are also outstanding warrants on James L. Madden, 32, of Harrogate.

Parsons commended the officers involved and the observant citizen that helped with the case.

“It takes a low individual to break into anyone's house, but to break into God's house is about as low as you can go,” Parsons said. “I hope the courts will remember this when it's time to punish these two criminals.”

(Staff Report)