Parishioners react to North Palm Beach priest’s exit after shoplifting arrest. Rev. Giuseppe Savaia — a Catholic priest at Furey’s church in North Palm Beach’s, St. Clare’s Parish announced he would leave his job to deal with his arrest after two alleged shoplifting incidents in December 2011.
Savaia, 43, submitted a letter to the Diocese of Palm Beach on June 30, writing “As some of you are aware, two accusations of shoplifting have been made against me for which I maintain my innocence.”
On Dec. 9, surveillance video cameras in the picture frame section of a Neiman Marcus store in Boca Raton captured images Savaia allegedly hiding a $895 Jay Strongwater picture frame under his jacket and leaving the store, according to an arrest report.
Savaia appearently struck again on Dec. 15, 2011, when surveillance video cameras from a Neiman Marcus store in Sunrise captured Savaia sling two Italian coats both worth more than $400 over his shoulder and leave the store without paying for them, according to a Sunrise Police Department arrest report.
Sunrise police arrested Savaia in the parking lot minutes later on grand theft charges. Neiman Marcus notified Boca Raton police when they realized Savaia fit the description of a suspect in the Dec. 9 case. In his letter to parishioners, Savaia, who lives in Delray Beach, said the Bishop advised that he should take time to “tend to personal duress as well as to comply with the proper legal process in establishing my innocence.”
