Paul Robert O'Neill was reportedly so upset about his missing cat that he trespassed inside a Newberry Township church on Friday, causing damage as he searched its rooms for his pet, according to charging documents.
When his search came up empty, he warned a member of the Slavic Baptist Church that if he did find the feline there, the church would be in "big trouble."
O'Neill, 45, of the first block of Maple Hill Drive, also lit a fire on his neighboring property on Saturday as police were speaking with church members, documents state.
O'Neill faces charges of burglary, criminal trespass, institutional vandalism at a place of worship, disorderly conduct and loitering and prowling at night, according to online court dockets.
As of Monday, O'Neill remained in York County Prison on $100,000 bail. He has a preliminary hearing before District Judge Scott J. Gross scheduled for May 17, dockets indicate.
At 10:18 p.m. Friday, Newberry Township Police responded to call about a suspicious person at the church, which is also located in the first block of Maple Hill Drive.
Church member Lyudmila Kolesnik told police that O'Neill had entered the annex building on the church's property without permission and "began yelling about his cat," documents state.
After O'Neill's search of the building's rooms for his cat proved to be fruitless, he told Kolesnik "that if he finds his cat here they will be in big trouble," documents state.
On his way off the property, O'Neill kicked a hole in a door outside the building, documents state.
Police spoke with O'Neill, who admitting walking into the church building and confronting those inside, documents state.
Police were called back to the property on Saturday, after members found damage to their chapel, located about 30 yards from the annex building, according to documents.
Looking at video surveillance footage, police were able to determine O'Neill entered the chapel through an open window and damaged several locked doors, again looking for his cat, documents state.