A Georgia man is facing charges after authorities caught him in an unusual burglary at a Florida church. The Bay County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to reports of a burglary at the Emerald Beach Church of God on Alf Coleman Road in Panama City Beach on Friday (August 4).
Deputies allege Derek Porter smashed a window with a cinderblock to enter the church, prompting the woman working inside to flee after she heard the noise. Porter reportedly caused $8,000 worth of damage to the church, took the institution's money bag, and loaded several stolen electronics into his pickup truck, including a television and a computer.
Panama City Beach police officers and BCSO deputies pulled up to the scene and arrested Porter, who allegedly had methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia on him. While questioning the suspect, Porter told cops he couldn't remember what happened while he was inside the church.
“He did remember however baptizing himself in the church’s baptistry pool,” deputies noted. “Porter claims ‘something’ was holding his head down under the water while in the pool.”
The accused burglar wasn't the only one who took a dip in the baptismal. Body camera footage shows a BCSO K9 jumping into the holy waters to "beat the heat and cool off."
Porter is now facing charges of burglary of an occupied structure, criminal mischief, possession of meth, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was already out on bond for a separate burglary charge in Georgia, according to BSCO.