A Bowling Green man who pleaded to seven counts of burglary, including two burglaries involving a church, was ordered to serve 15 years in prison.

Bryan Allen Bratcher, 23, was sentenced Monday in Warren Circuit Court on one count of first-degree burglary, three counts of second-degree burglary and three counts of third-degree burglary.

Bratcher was arrested on July 15 on suspicion of committing several break-ins of Smiths Grove residences, as well as Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Smiths Grove.

The burglary investigation involving the church was opened on July 14 when Trooper Jonathan McChesney of the Kentucky State Police was riding through the parking lot of the church while off duty and noticed a side door of the church appeared to have been forced open.

McChesney was aware of allegations that Bratcher had broken into other buildings in the area and began looking for him.

Melissa Glass, identified in court records as the victim of the first-degree burglary that occurred July 7, had reportedly been warned by one of Bratcher’s relatives that he might try to break into her home.

Police attempting to track down Bratcher were helped by Glass.

Glass “located the subject and held him at gunpoint until units could respond,” one of Bratcher’s arrest citation states.

Troopers searching the woods near Glass’ property took Bratcher into custody.

He admitted to burglarizing the church and to committing three other burglaries, and was found with items that had been reported stolen from several residences, according to court records.

Two indictments returned by a Warren County grand jury charged Bratcher with burglarizing three residences and a barn between June 16 and July 12.

Additional counts of theft by unlawful taking and criminal mischief were charged against Bratcher, but dismissed in a plea agreement he reached with prosecutors.

At the time of his arrest, Bratcher had active warrants outside Warren County involving other investigations.

Kentucky Department of Corrections records online show that Bratcher is also serving sentences on convictions from last year on two counts of third-degree burglary in Barren County and one count each of theft by unlawful taking and custodial interference in Edmonson County.

— Follow courts reporter Justin Story on Twitter at twitter.com/jstorydailynews or visit bgdailynews.com.