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Gastonia pastor follows suspected church burglar for several miles

By Ken Lemon, wsoctv.com
By Ken Lemon, wsoctv.com

GASTONIA, N.C. — A Gastonia pastor said he followed a man he believed had broken into his church for several miles until police caught up with them and arrested the suspect.

Pastor Michael Brewer said he spotted Reginald Rorie Friday night at the Upper Room Church. He said the suspect had lined up stolen items in the parking lot, and went back inside to get more stuff.

The two men saw each other and Brewer said Rorie jumped into an SUV and sped off. Brewer said the suspect forgot to shut the rear hatch of the SUV, which was packed with stereo equipment he said was taken from the children’s church.

(Reginald Rorie)

“The church worked extremely hard and they paid a lot of money for everything we have here and it belongs to the Lord,” Brewer said. “I don’t think he had the right to be in here so I wanted to pursue him and see if we could catch him.”

Brewer followed Rorie and called 911. Brewer said the suspect reached speeds up to 90 mph and sped around other cars.

“He is passing everything and everybody that he can,” Brewer told the 911 dispatcher.

Brewer gave police turn-by-turn directions for 8 miles.

“OK, he must have passed another truck. I can’t see him,” Brewer told the dispatcher.

Police eventually caught up with Rorie. They said he dumped the stolen equipment before they captured him but they recovered most of it.

Brewer said he’s not angry at the suspect. In fact, he wants him to come back to the church.

“We do forgive him and we would just like him to go on with his life in a better way and possibly come to church here,” Brewer said.

It wasn’t the first time Brewer helped catch a suspected thief. He saw men breaking into a home several years ago, called police and followed the suspects.

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