Robbinsville woman arrested for breaking into a Peachtree church

The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.  All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Murphy, NC— Cherokee County Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the June 29th, 2015 arrest of 33-year-old Jessica Shenae Phillips who gave a Robbinsville, North Carolina address for breaking and entering a church.

Jessica Shanae Phillips

During the morning hours of June 29th, 2015 the Cherokee County Communications Center received a report of a suspicious person at a church in the Peachtree Community of Cherokee County. Shortly after the incident was reported to the Communications Center, the responding deputy located Phillips and evidence where she had unlawfully entered the church and removed items from it. Additionally, while conducting the investigation, Phillips provided a false name and the responding deputy was able to identify Phillips from computerized records from his patrol car.

Phillips was arrested for felony charges of Breaking and Entering a Place of Worship and Larceny After Breaking and Entering. Phillips is being held on a $5,000.00 secure bond and is expected to be in Cherokee County District Court on July 8th, 2015.

Sheriff Palmer said, “With the placement of laptops in our patrol vehicles and utilizing more aggressive patrol tactics, the responding deputy was able to make an arrest quickly. This shows that our deputies are out day and night doing a great job for our citizens and their property.”

To report crime in Cherokee County, call the anonymous tip line at 828-837-1344 or email a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov or call 911 if you observe a crime in progress.