Theft of religious jewels at church in Jerez de los Caballeros: two crowns stolen
Thieves forced open the side door of Santa Catalina and accessed the shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary before fleeing when alarms were triggered.
Robbery at Santa Catalina in the early hours
The church of Santa Catalina in Jerez de los Caballeros (Badajoz) was robbed in the early hours of Thursday when unknown individuals stole various jewels from religious images, including two crowns from the Virgin of Our Lady of the Rosary, belonging to the Confraternity of Saint Dominic of Guzmán. According to El Mundo, the theft occurred around four in the morning.
The perpetrators forced open the side door of the temple and several interior gates to access the main shrine of the virgin. The alarms from the security system were triggered shortly afterwards, forcing the thieves to flee before they could complete the looting, according to sources from the confraternity consulted by EFE, who stress the great heritage value of the stolen pieces.
In addition to the two crowns, other elements and decorations of the Christ that processes alongside this confraternity were also stolen. Both images take to the streets of Jerez de los Caballeros during the local Holy Week, declared a National Tourist Interest site, specifically on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.
The Judicial Police have taken charge of the investigation. Officers do not rule out that the theft may be related to other similar robberies registered recently in the Extremadura region.
Source: El Mundo