INDIANAPOLIS — An east side church is trying to stay cool after someone stole every single one of their air conditioning units.
On Monday, it was 83 degrees inside the First Bible Apostolic Church along Ritter Avenue. It’s been like that since last week when Pastor Kelly Smith noticed they were getting no relief from the heat.
“I checked all of the ACs,” Smith said. “They were all set to the proper setting and it was just hot.”
When they went outside to check the units themselves, they discovered all five of the units were gone. Each one had wires and copper pipes.
Pastor Kelly and Ben Smith believe it may be the same thieves who busted down the door to the church’s shed earlier this year and made off with their brand-new lawnmower.
“We can’t afford this,” Pastor Kelly said. “We just made a claim for the lawnmower that was stolen in the spring and now we have to make another claim.”
Altogether, they said replacing everything will cost them upwards of $40 thousand. Insurance will cover some of that cost, but they’ve had to turn to their congregation for help.
“It’s just frustrating to have to go to them for help with nothing that they’ve done,” Pastor Ben Smith said. “They’ve done nothing wrong but yet they still sacrifice and give for somebody who is hurting us.”
To make matters worse, the thieves tore down the church’s surveillance cameras so the Smiths are hoping someone in the neighborhood saw something or has a video they can turn over to investigators.
In the meantime, they’re sweating it out and trying to forgive but are far from forgetting.
“We were thinking you have to have no regard or fear of God in order to steal from a church,” Kelly said. “Who steals from a church?”
The pastors hope to be able to replace the stolen units once the insurance claims are processed.
Anyone with information is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at 317-262-TIPS.
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