A Lawrenceville church has recently become the target of theft. The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh said in the past week, criminals broke into St. Augustine Church – Saint Padre Pio Parish four times and stole items worth thousands of dollars.

Last Friday, on Aug. 29, just before 3 a.m., Virginia Marshall woke up to Pittsburgh police calling for someone to come out of a building.

"'We're sending the K-9 in. We're sending the K-9 in.' They kept repeating that," Marshall said.

Marshall looked outside and saw officers surrounding St. Augustine Church.

"There were quite a few of them out there," Marshall said.

Court records reveal police got called to respond to 37th and Bandera for a burglar alarm at the church, after the pastor saw a man with a crowbar inside on surveillance video. At the scene, he used that video to guide officers through the building.

"You could tell that he was directing the police based on what he was seeing on his mobile device," Marshall said.

Police said eventually, with the help of a K-9, they tracked down 47-year-old Timothy Lau inside a locked room upstairs. They arrested him on charges including burglary, criminal trespass and theft, after alleging he stole a large bag of power tools worth thousands and broke into the church more than once with the help of others.

The pastor said each time criminals broke into the church, they made their way inside through the basement door.

Catherine Wacha frequents the neighborhood.

"I can't imagine a worse place to steal from than a church," Wacha said.

The diocese said during one of the incidents, the thieves stole $1,200 in candle donation money. The church wasn't damaged, and they don't feel this was an act against Catholicism, but they do believe the incidents are connected, conducted by the same group of people.

"You figure the money that they're taking from the church, that's money that's typically used to support people in the community that are in need, so it just doesn't make any sense," Marshall said.

As police continue investigating, Marshall just hopes justice is serves.

"Whatever consequences that the court deems is appropriate, then I hope that that comes to pass," Marshall said.

Lau remains in Allegheny County Jail on $2,000 bail. Court documents show he has a long criminal history that includes multiple theft convictions.