MALVERNE, N.Y. (AP) – Two Long Island 14-year-olds working on a student documentary helped catch a man stealing money from a church’s votive candle donation box.

Malverne police said the suspect, John Scimeca, 45, has a rap sheet with 15 convictions, including a similar robbery at a Valley Stream church in April, for which he served a month in jail.

The students were videotaping a documentary at Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Nov. 13 when they recorded a man allegedly tampering with the boxes. They gave their tape to a Malverne police officer.

A week later, on Nov. 20, the father of one of the students was buying flowers at the church when he saw the same man entering the building. The father grabbed a camcorder from his car and returned to the church.

Police say the father saw the man remove two bills from the votive box and jam them into his pants pocket.

The suspect was then spotted using a long device to lift bills from inside the poor box, police said.

The suspect eventually realized he was being taped and allegedly threatened to “beat up” the father.

The father’s videotape was turned over to Malverne police, who identified the suspect as Scimeca.

Scimeca was charged with two counts of larceny and one count of possession of burglar’s tools.

AP-ES-11-25-05 1059EST