MOORESVILLE — A man who had been allowed to stay in the fellowship hall of a Mooresville church has been charged with stealing a church lawn mower.

Laura Memorial Church of God at 2173 Charlotte Highway reported May 25 that an Aries riding lawn mower was missing from a storage building at the church.

Detectives with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office were told by the pastor and church neighbors that Newton Marcell Brown had been given permission in the past to stay in the fellowship hall. They said Brown knew the mower was in the storage building.

Detectives determined that Brown sold the mower to a local family who did not know it was stolen.

The mower was returned to the church.

Brown was charged with felony breaking and entering, felony larceny after breaking and entering, and felony obtaining property by false pretense.

He was arrested June 15 and was held on a $10,000 bond.