A string of church break-ins that had captured widespread attention in Macon County came to an end last week when law enforcement arrested four teenage suspects in conjunction with the crimes.

Between Oct. 5 and Nov. 8 no less than 10 churches were broken into, the perpetrators committing a variety of acts of petty theft and vandalism ranging from stealing a pack of hot dogs in one case to setting a rug on fire in another.

Investigators from the Macon County Sheriff’s Department and the Franklin Police Department worked together to investigate the crimes. While the cases are still considered open, a release issued last week by Macon County Sheriff Robert Holland confirmed that at least some of the suspects arrested on Nov. 18 have cooperated with investigators in detailing the extent of the crimes.

Franklin residents Kathleen Stewart, 18, Marissa Lynn Harmon, 19, Paul Joseph Quinn, 20, Caitlyn Margaret Capoccia, 18, were taken into custody and charged with felony breaking and entering a place of worship, felony larceny, injury to real property and injury to personal property.

Over the course of the month-long spree Liberty Baptist Church, Bethesda Baptist Church, Prentiss Baptist Church, Riverview Methodist Church, Rose Creek Baptist Church, Dryman Chapel United Methodist Church, Clark’s Chapel United Methodist Church, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and Olive Hill Gospel Church all suffered break-ins that included theft, vandalism, or both.