GENESEE COUNTY (WJRT) -
(10/11/12) - Police in Genesee County are looking for suspects linked to a
rash of church break-ins. They happened sometime early Sunday morning.
Three churches in Argentine Township - Hope Lutheran, Church of the Nazarene
and Church on the Street - and one in Gaines Township, were all hit.
"If they're willing to break into a church, where else are they willing to
break into," said Argentine Township Detective Doug Fulton.
Detectives in Argentine Township said thieves were dressed in purple colored
sweatshirts and matching gloves when they broke into four Genesee County
churches. "In some of the churches they tried prying the windows if that didn't
work, they pried the door open, they broke a window, the Hope Lutheran church -
they were there for a while."
Police said robbers stole cash, guitars, and Wal-Mart gift cards. "They took
three out of the four. The way Wal-Mart works is they were able to trace down
the gift cards, tracked them down to Canton, Michigan to a Wal-Mart down there
and we got the surveillance of the one gentleman walking out."
"It just made me sick to my stomach. You're not suppose to do stuff like
that," said parishioner Mary Arndt.
Arndt is a longtime parishioner of Hope Lutheran on Silver Lake Road. "I
can't understand people, why they do things like that. I just hope they catch
them because something has to happen, people can't be doing this all the time."
Detectives believe there are a total of three thieves who may be linked to
other church robberies in the area.
"We're hoping somebody recognizes them, comes forth, tells us the information
of who they are," added Det. Fulton.
If you recognize the men in these photos, call Argentine Township Police.
