This alleged bungling bandit didn’t have a prayer.
A thieving bozo accidentally called 911 to his Tennessee motel where he had a 6-foot crucifix he allegedly stole from a church oddly tucked in his bed Wednesday night, according to authorities.
Jacob Vanderburg, 31, was taken into custody by Sumner County Sheriff’s deputies after they discovered the large wooden cross that was taken from a Florida church in early December, the law enforcement agency said.
The haggard-looking man had walked into the St. Paul Catholic Church with a red cup and when he was told by a staffer he could not drink inside, he claimed he was “just looking for Jesus,” the Sunshine State police department told The Post.
But when a female staffer asked him to leave, he instead approached the altar and allegedly snatched the crucifix.
A struggle for the crucifix ensued with Vanderburg dragging the worker across the parking lot until she let go, police said. He then allegedly got in his van with it and drove off.
More than a month later, the alleged thief accidentally called 911 that led authorities to his room at the Country Inn Motel.
The stolen religious item was tucked under a blanket, but Tennessee authorities became suspicious when Vanderburg became “extremely protective” of it, the sheriff’s office said.
“A quick check revealed Jacob Vanderburg was not just any guest; he was wanted in Florida for theft, trespassing, and robbery,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
He was charged as a fugitive from justice and is robbery charge in Pensacola, authorities said.
An email to a priest at the church was not immediately returned Thursday night.