BAYTOWN, Texas – Thieves ransacked a Baytown church and stole thousands of dollars worth of electronics.
The crooks broke into St. John's United Methodist Church, in the 500 block of South Alexander, on Thursday.
The pastor said the church secretary found the church ransacked. The crooks kicked in an office door and tried to open a church safe.
"I think the mental aspect is the worst part, knowing that it could happen and it does happen," Pastor John Burchell said. "They literally busted the deadbolt right out of the frame."
When they could not break into the safe, the thieves headed for the sanctuary and stole several expensive electronics, including a laptop that was donated to the church just two weeks earlier.
The pastor said the thieves gained entry into the church through an open gymnasium door, one that is never left unlocked. So, they believe a church member inside the building willingly let the thieves in to commit the crime.
"It would be hard for me to believe that one of them would do that. And I hate to have to say that, but that's the only thing we have to go by," Burchell said.
The loss is estimated to be $3,300.