Burglars broke and entered the Ciceron Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church sometime between Friday evening and this morning by forcing their way through the front door before carting off with a number of items including an amplifier, a mixer, a projector and some other equipment, worth over $10,000.
They also ransacked the place, spilling drawers and knocking over the lectern before escaping.
Pastor Franklin Bray told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) that it appears the bandits were looking for money.
“That is a major concern for us and we are really alerting people so if they intend to sell or if they sell the items, persons would know those are stolen goods. It is sad that the church feels really invaded and for persons to be stealing items that would be considered sacred,” Bray said.
Asked whether this is the first time that such an incident has occurred, he said the church was invaded a few times before.
“We’ve had previous break-ins and we have done some things to correct the situation, but each time they seem to be entering somewhere else. It speaks to the level of criminality, poverty, desperation and disregard for the law and boundaries,” Pastor Bray explained.
“We want individuals out there to know that they should not purchase those items, unless the individuals can provide them with a receipt of purchase because those items, particularly having been stolen from a church, they will not receive the benefits of those things and they should not encourage criminality in the community,” he added.
The church service planned for 9 a.m. was cancelled. The police were called in and investigations are continuing.