Police say a homeless man broke into a West Hempstead church Wednesday morning and got away with $16 from the poor box.

The associate pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle says he was awake in his room in the rectory when he heard the sound of glass breaking around 3 a.m. He saw a man entering the church through a window and called 911.

Police say a homeless man, 34-year-old Jayson Bianco, then headed downstairs and pried open two poor boxes. Church officials say it seemed Bianco knew the layout of the church and may have attended Mass there before.

Ray Rockensief, of St. Thomas, says it was the ninth time the church has been broken into since February. The other times thieves got away with copper and a keyboard, he says.

Police say Bianco has been arrested seven times before and mostly for burglaries. He is only charged with one count for Wednesday?s incident.