Man charged with desecrating St. Stephen's Episcopal Church porch

On Tuesday night, September 15, 2026, Wilkes-Barre police arrested Stanley J. Klimek Jr., 63, after a church organist reported him camping on the steps and porch of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church at 35 S. Franklin St. Officers found him defecating onto the church property in plain view and observed soiled toilet paper scattered around the porch and garden. He was charged with a felony count of institutional vandalism of a place of worship plus misdemeanor counts of desecrating a public monument, indecent exposure, and open lewdness. Magisterial District Judge Donald L. Whittaker arraigned him Wednesday morning and set bail at $50,000. He was held at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility with a preliminary hearing set for September 28.

Coordinates are the Nominatim place_of_worship pin for Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church at 35 South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre (41.2466414, −75.8845328). occurredOn uses September 15 as the Tuesday night of the arrest (Citizens' Voice published September 16).