Police have identified 40-year-old Teddy Martin III as the suspect involved in a stolen vehicle search on Wednesday.
Glendale and Phoenix police launched a search for Martin Wednesday afternoon after officials say he stole a truck in the area of 51st Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road.
Police say at 1:30 p.m. they received a call that a family member was following their stolen truck near the area of 59th Avenue and Loop 101.
The caller said the truck was speeding and they lost sight of it.
Officers found the truck crashed into a wall near 53rd Avenue and Pinnacle Peak with nobody inside.
Police say Martin was found inside a building of a nearby Mormon church campus. That’s where he was taken into custody.
“Churches are meant to be sanctuaries, but we could do with a little less excitement,” church member Jeffrey Page said.
Church officials say Martin was found inside the church building during a funeral service.
They say a girl inside the church spotted Martin where he was arrested without incident.
Martin was arrested on stolen vehicle charges, prohibited possessor, felony criminal damage and trespassing.
Martin has served time in Arizona Department of Corrections for theft, theft of means of transportation, criminal trespass, and misconduct involving weapons.
He was released from custody on October 31, 2014.
