CONNECTICUT -
[Cached Version]
Last Visited: 2/22/2007
Hector Cruz, 36, of 107 Celentano Drive, was arrested on charges of third-degree larceny, second-degree forgery and third-degree identity theft, Naugatuck Police Lt.
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A U.S. postal inspector started an investigation in January into a complaint that Cruz, pastor of a church known as Marcado por Dios, was cashing checks meant for a woman who used to live in his house, Harrison said.
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Harrison said Cruz is accused of cashing more than $3,000 from five checks that were written out to the woman, whom police did not identify.
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Cruz allegedly cashed the checks at five different branches of People's Bank by endorsing the checks with the woman's name.
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Cruz turned himself in at police headquarters on Monday, after police received an arrest warrant and Cruz learned there was a warrant for his arrest.The arrest warrant was not available Tuesday.
He was released on $1,000 bond pending arraignment April 19 in Superior Court in Waterbury.
A man who answered the door at 107 Celentano Drive refused to comment Wednesday afternoon.A man who answered a Naugatuck number listed for Cruz on the church's Spanish-language Web site said Cruz was not there.
Cruz is listed as president and director of Marcado por Dios, a church with a Milford post office box, but no apparent building of its own.However, the Web site mentioned that services of the church had taken place in Waterbury, New Haven and West Haven.
The Rev. Elias Serrano, listed on the site as an "international coordinator" for Cruz's ministry, said he was surprised to hear of the allegations.Serrano said he met Cruz in Connecticut, and again when Cruz preached with him in Mexico.He said Cruz is an evangelist.