Police investigate break-in at Peru church

You want people to go to your church, but you don’t want them breaking in during the night.

Investigators are trying to figure out what, if anything was taken from St. John’s Lutheran Church in Peru.

A person called the police just after 7am Tuesday to report it had been broken into.  Police say it looks like a door was forced open.

Mendota Police were investigating a burglary at Holy Cross Church last week.  They had thought it could be related to a rash of church burglaries in Lee and Ogle counties.  Police are also investigating a break-in at a lodge in Ladd.

Murder for hire trial declared a mistrial

The solicitation of murder trial of woman accused of trying to hire someone to kill her husband barely got rolling before being declared a mistrial.

Opening statements were Tuesday morning in the trial Christina Dent.  She was arrested in June, accused of offering an undercover cop $7,000 to kill her husband.

Judge Cynthia Raccuglia declared a mistrial after public defender Tim Cappellini objected twice during prosecutor Matt Kidder’s opening statements.  Cappellini felt he wasn’t told some of the evidence.

A hearing tomorrow will decide when there will be a new trial and settle what evidence will be used.

Neither side would comment.