Man sentenced for stealing from churches

DOWNEY - A 52-year-old parolee arrested at his mother's house in Downey on charges of stealing money from church donation boxes was sentenced to two years in prison Wednesday.Peter Manuel Galindro, 52, allegedly pried open collection boxes at churches in Burbank and Glendale between Sept. 7 and Dec. 27, 2010. The stolen money had been earmarked for Haitian relief efforts, officials said. Galindro was arrested in Downey by a law enforcement task force. He was on parole for a previous burglary offense. Galindro has been convicted for theft five times since Februrary 1990, court officials said. In court Wednesday, Galindro pleaded no contest while admitting his previous convictions. Judge Patrick Hegarty immediately sentenced Galindro to two years in prison and ordered him to pay $200 in restitution to Holy Family Catholic Church in Glendale and St. Finbar's Catholic Church in Burbank. Galindro pleaded "open" to the court, meaning the plea was not a negotiated settlement with the district attorney's office, prosecutors said.

********** Published: January 27, 2011 - Volume 9 - Issue 41