Nathaniel H. Schultz has a thing with churches, but it’s not likely to help him get off the hook and save him from legal trouble.  Officers from the Saugerties, New York, police department recently caught Schultz cutting the screens from several windows of St. Mary of the Snow church rectory.  This marks the third time they’ve discovered the man misbehaving on church grounds and adds yet another offense to his rather odd record. Schultz was arrested and charged with three misdemeanors -- contempt of a court order, criminal mischief, and criminal trespass.Officers initially discovered Schultz’s plans after responding to a call describing a man wrapped in a towel sitting on the porch of the rectory.  He had already cut three window screens on the porch.  Investigating further, officers discovered a church order already in place against the man preventing him from coming within 500 feet of the church.  This was issued after Schultz was charged with felony burglary and petit larceny, a misdemeanor back in May of this year.  

Image Courtesy of New York State Police

During the May incident, Schultz was captured on video entering St. Mary’s chapel and sacristy of the church rectory at around 3AM, taking off all of his clothes and lying in front of vestments in a submissive pose.  He then stole a bottle of religious wine, which he consumed several times on the video, and urinated in a trash can inside. Schultz had been at the chapel for approximately four hours before a congregation member arrived and noticed him while preparing for morning mass.  Schultz was also arrested and charged with burglary the previous month, in April 2017, after breaking into another nearby place of worship -- Saugerties Reformed Church.  He entered church area first, then proceeded to the day care center, where he caused random damage.  Both court cases are still pending, according to Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra.  An order of protection was issued in the April incident, remaining in effect until April 17, 2018, according to police.  Unfortunately, this didn’t save St. Mary’s.Interestingly enough, Schultz was handcuffed at the age of 22 and charged with burglary after breaking into a chiropractic office just before it opened and defecating on the carpet near the receptionist’s desk.  He had apparently entered the office through an unlocked door.  For that incident, Schultz was lucky enough to be released on probation after a judge decided to save him from imprisonment and he was ordered to remain at his home unless accompanied by a parent.  He has since proven as a repeat offender he doesn’t care what the court says.Schultz was arraigned last week in the Village of Saugerties Justice Court and was ordered to be held at Ulster County Jail in lieu of $15,000 cash or $30,000 bond.  He was subsequently freed after the cash bond was posted. Schultz due back in court on August 21st.  It is still unclear what his intentions were in any of the cases in which he was involved.

Sources:

Saugerties man, 26, charged in third church break-in in four monthsSaugerties man, 25, charged in second church break-inPolice: Saugerties man broke into and defiled church chapel and rectorySaugerties man broke into chiropractic office, defecated on rug, state police say