God-awful thieves
Rip off church, leave gross reminder
A band of crooks looted a century-old church in The Bronx — and left behind a revolting token of their unholy act.
Police announced Sunday that they are looking for at least three culprits who stole nearly $8,000 worth of electronics from the Creston Avenue Baptist Church at 12:30 a.m. last Tuesday
They broke a lock on the back door to gain access to the unoccupied building.
And before they left, one of the deviants defecated in the church’s foyer, a member of the congregation said.
“It’s devastating. I think this is the first time we have been vandalized like this,” Sharon Stanley, a member of the church for 40 years, told WCBS-TV.
The pastor of the church, Marcia Stanley, couldn’t believe the crooks would do such a dirty deed.
“Can’t they see this is the house of God?” Stanley asked rhetorically in an interview with the station.
“They messed up my office, broke up the safe, break up the doors, break up the kitchen.
“What could possess them to do things like that?”
Church treasurer Emeka
Oseafiana said on GoFundMe that the crooks swiped audio equipment and computers — stealing or damaging about $10,000 of property in all.
The burglary threatens to delay the church’s anticipated reopening next month, Oseafiana wrote in the fundraiser.
“Recently due to COVID, Creston has started to live stream Sunday service via Facebook in order to stay in touch with its members and the community,” she said.
“Creston was looking forward to reopening its doors the first Sunday in August but due to this unfortunate event, this may not be possible.”
In just four days, the church surpassed its goal, raising nearly $12,000 from 170 donors as of Sunday night.