PETERSBURG, Va. — Police are searching for suspects who have broken into a Petersburg church at least three times, stealing food and equipment while causing thousands of dollars in damage.
Azusa's House of Praise has been targeted at least three times by vandals and thieves since Easter Sunday, with the culprits leaving behind evidence of their unusual snacking habits.
"There's the box... [They] trashed the box and trashed the place again," said Pastor Maurice Bland, describing the scene of repeated destruction at his church.
The "frequent break-ins" have followed a pattern, beginning during a significant religious holiday.
"It started Easter weekend," Bland recalled. "They came in and trashed the place and stole things. Then Mother's Day weekend, and before we could get that all cleaned up, they came in a week later and did it again."
Damages and theft now total tens of thousands of dollars. The thieves targeted the church's food pantry, which normally serves community members in need.
"Ate popsicles and ice cream sandwiches and things of that nature and left the evidence behind," Bland said. "They ate cereal and left the cereal behind."
The pastor expressed disbelief that his church, which focuses on community service, would become a target.
"Shoes, water, we pay people's bills and help them with other financial stuff. We really are in the community helping, so I'm shocked — like really shocked," he said.
Heavy stereo equipment was also stolen during the break-ins.
The pastor believes multiple people are involved in the crimes.
Despite the repeated violations, Bland said he is relying on scripture from Luke 23:34 to guide his response.
"Forgive them for they know not what they do," Bland said. "So you've got to really just pay that forward. Forgive these folks... and realize that vengeance is God's. It's not ours, because it's not our stuff."
If you have information that could help detectives, call Petersburg Police at 804-732-4222 or Petersburg/Dinwiddie Crime Solvers at 804-861-1212 or text the keyword pdcash followed by the tip and send to 274637.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky| Facebook| Instagram| X| Threads| TikTok| YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
