Olympia man allegedly breaks into church for a "quick dollar"

An Olympia man was arrested after allegedly breaking into a Lacey church in search of a “quick dollar.”

According to Olympia police, Joshua W Williams, 37, was arrested on Feb. 11 after a prowling call at The GraceWorks Church on Steilacoom Road. Dispatchers told police that a man was seen on surveillance footage.

Police officers searched the premises after they observed an unsecured door to the youth building.

Officers said they announced that Lacey police would be conducting a building search and ordered anyone inside to make their presence known, but received no response.

 Authorities found Williams hiding behind a stack of ping pong tables and detained him without issue.

Williams told police that he “made a mistake and screwed up,” according to the report.

Asked why he came to the church, the suspect responded, “To get a quick dollar.” Williams also told police that he used a crowbar to enter the property.

Police found a crowbar next to the suspect’s backpack, which they said was packed with candy and a computer keyboard.

Church staff told officers that the candies and keyboard belonged to the church.

The staff also insisted that Williams was the same person allegedly involved in a Feb. 9 burglary of the church, which the suspect denied. Police were not immediately able to confirm whether the suspect previously burglarized the church.

Williams was booked at the Thurston County Jail for second-degree burglary.