Suspect In San Clemente Pizzeria Caper Surrenders

(CBS) SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. A burglary suspect calling himself a pastor and under investigation for allegedly fraudulently collecting money for homeless children from workers at a San Clemente pizza parlor over a 15-year period surrendered Tuesday to the Orange County Sheriff's Department, an official said.

A warrant had been issued for the arrest of the 6-foot 4-inch, 400-pound man, who referred to himself as Pastor Marvin Weekly while soliciting funds for a homeless shelter at Sonny's Pizza & Pasta, 429 N. El Camino Real, said Jim Amormino of the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Weekly solicited funds for homeless children from the owner and employees of the restaurant who gave him money over the past 15 years, Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said.

Weekly got money from the owner and workers again on March 6 and the upstairs office was burglarized the next day, with $3,500 taken. He and another man were caught on surveillance video, Amormino said.

Amormino said investigators are "looking into whether those solicitations were fraudulent or not" and whether Weekly is affiliated with a church.

"As late as 8 a.m. (Tuesday) he was out soliciting funds" in the Rialto area, Amormino said.

Julie Ragenovich, a co-owner of the restaurant, said the man was a regular.

"He's been coming in for about 15 years now, asking for donations for the homeless shelter and the waitresses and the cooks have given him their hard-earned money, thinking it was a good cause," she said.

Weekly came to the pizza parlor March 6, said employee Taylor Filko.

"He kept being really persistent, just asking me over and over" for money, she said.

Filko wrote a check for $20.

The next day, the office was burglarized. The suspect and accomplice were caught on surveillance video, Amormino said.

"I was shocked," Ragenovich said. "I was really surprised. I think everybody was because they've seen him for years and years."

Amormino said investigators are "looking into whether those solicitations were fraudulent or not."

Employee Evan Perez said he watched the video images and said, "There he is, I recognize the guy."

http://cbs2.com/local/local_story_163033042.html