Gregory Dwayne Vaden, 45, is facing a charge of burglary of a building, a state jail felony.
AUSTIN, Texas — A man is facing a felony charge after the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office says he admitted to breaking into a church in Liberty Hill last month.
The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office said it served an arrest warrant on Thursday for 45-year-old Gregory Dwayne Vaden, who is currently being held in the Travis County Jail on a burglary charge for a separate incident in Austin.
Williamson County detectives interviewed Vaden prior to his arrest, where they said he admitted to breaking into the Vintage Church in Liberty Hill on Sept. 28. He told investigators that he committed the burglary due to being in financial debt and suffering from drug addiction.
Vaden allegedly forcibly entered the Vintage Church through the rear doors using a crowbar. Investigators said they saw pry and cut marks on the entry and interior doors, including the doors leading to the pastor’s office, which had been forcibly opened.
The break-in at Vintage Church is one of a number in the area that has dealt with a break-in recently, as Trinity Anglican Church in Jonestown and Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church in Lago Vista also dealt with burglary incidents earlier this year. Charges have not been brought regarding those burglaries, but the sheriff’s office noted similarities between those break-ins – as well as ones in Manor and Austin – and the one in Liberty Hill, as well as the presence of a red SUV and a suspect matching Vaden’s description.
In Williamson County, Vaden faces a charge of burglary of a building, a state jail felony.