PORT CHARLOTTE, FL. - Charlotte County Sheriff's deputies arrested a man found on the roof of a Port Charlotte church who wanted a photo of himself to put on his Facebook account with him next to the cross.
18-year-old Jonathan Michael Sawyer was charged with felony Criminal Mischief to a Church.
According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, Sawyer used the air conditioners to get on a lower level of the roof then stood on the vents to get to the main rooftop.
The incident occurred Nov. 24 at 3 p.m. when deputies were called about a man on the New Day Christian Church at 20212 Peachland Boulevard. Upon arrival a deputy detained Sawyer who was walking away from the church. The pastor arrived and they went up on the roof and saw a large exhaust vent crushed by someone standing on it and a second smaller vent was also damaged. Total damages were $600. Deputies examined Sawyer’s shoes which matched the tread pattern found on the roof and damaged vents.
The pastor said he wanted to confer with the church Board of Elders before determining if they wanted to pursue charges. Tuesday, the pastor told deputies that the Board did want to pursue charges. Sawyer was located, arrested, and transported to the Charlotte County Jail where he remains on $1,500 bond.
