The security company that employed two guards charged with burglarizing Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral released a statement Monday, saying the company was "greatly saddened" by the incident.
"This is the first time in our 18 year history that a former employee has been arrested for such an incident, which we take very seriously," Chicago-based Monterrey Security said in a statement.
"We are greatly saddened that the Holy Name community is experiencing this situation and are hopeful that those responsible for this crime will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law," the statement continued.
"We also remain committed to working closely with communities of need to fill thousands of positions for our company serving clients across the Chicagoland area and providing exceptional security and event services to the millions of people we are responsible for at events each year."
Artemio Calderon, 25, and Jarrell Patterson, 22, were arrested Sunday after they were identified as the offenders wanted for breaking into and stealing cash from the church on April 15, Chicago police said in a statement.
Calderon, of the 4700 block of South Damen Avenue, and Patterson, of the 600 block of East 87th Place, were each charged with one felony count of burglary of a place of worship, according to police.
Authorities said both men worked for Monterrey and entered the church, located in the 700 block of North Wabash Avenue on Chicago's Near North Side, using a key. While inside, they took somewhere between $80,000 and $100,000 in cash from a safe, according to Chicago police.
A letter the Archdiocese of Chicago sent to parishioners after the burglary said in part that the organization was "conducting an audit of collections and will report on our findings."
Chicago police said a representative of the church observed two males entering unauthorized areas in the evening hours on multiple occasions in March and April.
Calderon and Patterson were identified through video surveillance and taken into custody without incident, according to police. They were scheduled to appear in bond court on Monday afternoon.
Holy Name terminated its contract with Monterrey, the church said in a letter to parishioners on Monday.
Local
"We are very grateful for the many expressions of concern and support we have received since we reported evidence of criminal trespass of the Cathedral grounds," Fr. Greg Sakowicz said in an emailed statement.
"While we await the outcome of the police investigation and criminal court proceedings we have moved forward with our efforts to strengthen our security procedures with a new security service provider for Holy Name Cathedral," the letter continued. "We are committed to ensuring our Cathedral remains a beacon of our faith and continues to welcome all who enter."
Monterrey ran security for Holy Name for more than 10 years without incident prior to the burglary, the company said, and terminated an employee two weeks ago immediately after discovering he allowed an unauthorized individual into a restricted area of the building.
Both Calderon and Patterson, who no longer work for the company, provided "every required credential" to qualify for their positions and "received extensive training on their roles and responsibilities, just as every other employee," Monterrey said in a statement.
Of Holy Name's termination, Monterrey Security said "we respect their decision."
According to the company's website, Monterrey has handled security for several high-profile events in Chicago, including the 2012 NATO Summit, as well as both the 2015 and 2016 NFL Drafts.
Monterrey also handles security at Navy Pier, Lincoln Park Zoo, Allstate Arena, Soldier Field for Chicago Bears home games, Toyota Field for Chicago Fire games, and during major annual events like Lollapalooza and the Chicago Marathon, the company's website said. Representatives of those organizations were not immediately available for comment on their contracts with Monterrey.
