Davis police arrested a local man early Saturday morning on suspicion of burglarizing the Davis Lutheran Church.
Officers responded shortly after 3 a.m. to the 317 E. 8th St. church after receiving a report of a loud banging sound coming from the building, Lt. Mike Munoz said. They observed movement and the beam of a flashlight inside after arriving on scene.
“A male subject, later identified as Nicholas Woodson Chaves, broke one of the doors to the church and fled on foot,” Munoz said. “Officers chased Chaves while identifying themselves and ordering the Chaves to stop. Chaves refused to stop and was apprehended after a short foot pursuit.”
Following the arrest, the church’s pastor identified property found in Chaves’ possession as belonging to the church, Munoz said. Chaves, a 30-year-old Davis resident, was booked into the Yolo County Jail on suspicion of burglary, vandalism, possession of burglary tools and resisting officers.
In an unrelated incident, Davis police cited three 16-year-old boys for vandalism Saturday evening after they allegedly broke into Korematsu Elementary School and rummaged through drawers and cabinets. The 6:30 p.m. break-in caused an estimated $3,000 in damage to windows and a sink at the Loyola Drive school, Munoz said.