Two Hammond teens arrested for attempted burglary of church

By Erik Sanzenbach

St. Tammany News

Two teens from Hammond who said they only wanted to play basketball in the gym at the First Baptist Church on Pontchartrain Drive were charged with attempted burglary Monday night by Slidell police.

Police spokesman Capt. Kevin Foltz said Carlos F. Sandoval, 19, and Brett C. Knapp, 19, both of 2309 U.S. Highway 190, Apt. J, Hammond, were caught in the act of trying to jimmy open a glass door at the church around 10:30 p.m. Police got a call from the alarm company alerting them to an alarm at the church. When police arrived, a K-9 officer came upon the two suspects as they were trying to jam a plant stem and a pair of headphones between two glass doors to get to the inside handle of the door.

The officer approached the two suspects and identified himself. Foltz said the suspects turned around, and one is quoted as saying, “Uh-oh.”

When questioned, Knapp claimed he graduated from the First Baptist School last year and had returned with Sandoval to play some basketball in the school’s gymnasium. However, the door they were allegedly trying to break into did not lead to the gym but to the school’s classrooms. There are also several basketball goals located in the rear parking lot of the school, Foltz said.

Also, when the school’s custodian showed up, he told police the two teens didn’t have permission to use the gym.

Both suspects were arrested and charged with attempted burglary.