NORTH CAROLINA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM CHURCHESHickory Daily Record | $23,078 in items missing from churches$23,078 in items missing from churches
Investigators join to solve at least six different cases


By Jennifer Menster
Record Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 28, 2005

HICKORY - Investigators in Hickory and Newton are searching for suspects involved in at least six church break-ins during the past week.

There is a possibility the cases are related, said Newton Police Investigator Rhonda Webster.

The latest church break-in occurred sometime between Friday evening and Saturday morning at Corinth Reformed United Church of Christ in Hickory. The church also reported vandalism and items missing June 21.

Bill Howell, associate pastor, is angry and hurt. At the same time, he and the church are praying for the thieves.

The church made a few changes to hopefully prevent any more break-ins, Howell said. They are changing the locks and repurchasing stolen items.

“Some things you can’t replace,” Howell said. “There is some sentimental value to a lot of these things.”

Next door to Corinth, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church also reported property damage and items missing on June 21.

On June 19, Episcopal Church of the Epiphany at 750 W. Thirteenth St. in Newton and Trinity Baptist Church at 725 W. Thirteenth St. in Newton both reported damage. Epiphany reported laptop computers stolen.

On Thursday, Word of Life Christian Center Church in Newton reported cash missing but no damage.

Anyone with any information should call Hickory police at 328-5551 or Newton police at 465-7430.

DETAILS: Here is a breakdown of the items stolen from each church:

• $13,940. Corinth Reformed Church of Christ, Sixteenth Avenue, NW, Hickory reported the following items missing during two separate break-ins: Four chairs and a sofa, valued at $5,000; two laptop computers, valued at $2,800; two video projectors, valued at $2,000; computer equipment, valued at $1,500; a television, valued at $1,000; digital camera, $700 value; a DVD player, valued at $300; and $340 in cash. More than $300 in damage was reported.

• $7,348. St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Sixteenth Avenue, NW, in Hickory, reported the following items missing: computer hardware, $1,848 value; a video projector, $1,300 value; and $200 in cash. About $4,000 in damage was reported.

• $1,240. Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, West Thirteenth Street, Newton, reported the following items missing: laptop computers and damage to property, $1,240 value.

• $530. Trinity Baptist Church, West Thirteenth Street, Newton, reported about $530 in damage.

• $20. Word of Life Christian Center Church, East P Street Extension, Newton, reported $20 in cash missing.