Bradenton woman ‘ransacked’ church, cops say

A 32-year-old Bradenton woman is facing a felony charge after causing more than $1,000 in damage to a local church, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies arrived at Bradenton Christian Reformed Church, 4208 26th St. W., just before 3:30 a.m. Sunday and saw Amy Lynn Cliatt, “kicking the church’s door repeatedly while she was screaming after an unknown person,” according to an arrest report.

A youth pastor at the church also witnessed Cliatt go into the church beforehand through the Family Life Center door where deputies say she caused damage in,“almost every room within the involved wing of the church,” which was ransacked with items thrown about, deputies say.

According to the report, Cliatt claimed some unknown person had taken her bag and entered the church and she was trying to get her bag back, but deputies did not locate anyone else inside the church.

Cliatt was charged with felony burglary and felony criminal mischief to a place of worship and booked into the Manatee County jail where she remains on a total of $21,500 in bonds.