A Safford man was caught lugging stolen goods from a church to his house early Sunday morning.

Kenneth Lee Strong, 46, of Safford was booked into the Graham County Jail on Sunday morning after police caught him lugging around musical instruments he apparently stole from a local church.

Officer Brad Reynolds encountered Strong pushing a garbage can filled with two keyboards, an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar and amplifier and other objects along 12th Street at about 4 a.m. Reynolds questioned Strong about the items, and Strong said they were left in the garbage can outside of a church. He said he believed they were donations, so he decided to take them. An address on the amplifier listed it as belonging to The Church of God at 901 Central Ave.

Reynolds received a call for service at that time and had to leave the scene but told Strong he would investigate his claim and contact him later.

After the service call was determined to be in the Graham County Sheriff's jurisdiction, Reynolds went to the church and found a door to be unlocked.

The building appeared to have been rummaged through, and two keyboard stands had been knocked over and a plastic tub of toys in the day care center had been poured out.

Reynolds then went to Strong's residence and located him asleep on the couch with an acoustic guitar on his lap and an electric guitar next to him. He had a cut on his hand and blood on his shirt. The garbage can with the keyboards and other items was outside the residence.

Back at the church, officers discovered blood on a broken window and a rock and broken glass on the floor. There was also blood on a wall, a doorknob and on a computer monitor and projector. Outside of the church a jacket was located with a wallet. Strong's Arizona Identification Card and an Arizona Department of Corrections card with his name and picture on it were located inside the wallet.

Representatives of the church arrived and stated two keyboards were missing, along with an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar and the other items discovered in Strong's possession. A representative estimated the items to be worth about $10,000 and stated some canned goods were missing as well.

The instruments were processed as evidence at the Safford Police Department and were then returned to the church representatives.

Strong was booked into the jail on charges of theft, aggravated criminal damage and burglary.