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South Philly Man Charged With Robbing Convent Twice In Two Days

By Pat Loeb

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Police have charged a South Philadelphia man with burglarizing a convent on two consecutive nights, making off with approximately $1,100 that had been intended to buy Christmas gifts.

The nuns of St. Gabriel's clearly were trusting souls. Philadelphia police captain Laurence Nodiff says the thief broke into the convent, in the 2900 block of Dickinson Street, early last Wednesday morning by lifting an unlocked window near the front door and going inside.

Nodiff says the burglar took $150 the first time, and fled (see related story).

"Because it was relatively easy for him to gain access, he decided to do it again."

Nodiff says that on Thursday, the man again entered through an unlocked window. This time he got away with about a thousand dollars (see related story).

But what the man didn't count on was video surveillance cameras on a private residence nearby.  The residents turned the tape over to police, who put it online (see related story), and that led to the arrest of 26-year-old William Hagans.

Nodiff says Hagans, of the 1200 block of McKean Street, has two previous arrests, one for assault and one for robbery.

"But when you target nuns in a convent, that's just reprehensible," Nodiff said today.

Hagans is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. Nodiff says he is cooperating with authorities.

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