Even though there has been a string of burglaries recently throughout the county, investigators with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office were able to arrest two men recently who are accused of breaking into a local church and convenience store.

Cody Allen Gasaway, 22, 100 Russell Devilla, Apt. D-1, Russellville, and William Channing King, 24, 1406 Pike Ave., Phil Campbell, have both been charged with two counts of third-degree burglary, two counts of second-degree theft of property and one count of third-degree criminal mischief.

According to Sheriff Shannon Oliver, both men are accused of breaking into Liberty Hill Baptist Church sometime after services on the evening of Nov. 9 and stealing a computer, copper wire and damaging the building.

They are also accused of breaking into a convenience store at the corner of Alabama 243 and Franklin 75 on Nov. 20 where reports state a security monitor, cash and cigarettes were stolen. The convenience store’s building was damaged as well.

Oliver said the two men were developed as suspects during the investigation and were picked up on Nov. 30 and arrested on the charges.

He added the two are also suspects in other burglaries that took place in Phil Campbell.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is also asking for help from the community to stop the rate of burglaries in the area that has steadily increased since October.

Sheriff Shannon Oliver said there have been over 25 burglaries reported in areas all over the county, many of which have taken place during the day or on Sundays when people are at church.

Oliver said a reward would be offered for any information about these burglaries that leads to an arrest.

“Times are hard economically and we’re coming up on the Christmas holidays and that’s why we think the burglaries have increased,” Oliver said.

“We want to get this stopped because it’s sad when people don’t even want to leave their homes to go to church because they don’t want anyone breaking into their home and stealing from them.”

Anyone with information about this string of burglaries is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 256-332-8811.