MARSHALL COUNTY, MS (abc24.com) - Crooks are targeting God's house, breaking through doors and windows to steal from churches in Marshall County, Mississippi.
In the last two weeks, four churches have been hit, all within 15 miles of each other in southern Marshall County. They're tiny, country churches that don't have much to begin with; now what little they have is being stolen.
The Apostolic Lighthouse Church was the latest robbed, sometime Sunday night.
"When I walked in and seen things torn up, it was just hard for me to believe," says Pastor Wesley Newby, who's devastated by the crime. "When I was raised up, we always left our church doors open."
That doesn't happen today, but deputies with Marshall County's Sheriff's Department say crooks were breaking in no matter what.
"They're prying the door open with some kind of object," says Major Kelly McMillen.
Once inside, thieves are stealing computers, musical equipment and money.
"They're taking safes. A lot of churches keep offerings, tithes and so forth in them," McMillen tells abc24.com. "You can't take too many hits like they've been taking in these communities and the church continue to function."
"It will take us time. We're a small church and it takes time to build up," says Newby. "We're reaching out to people like this. This is what we're reaching out to, people who need a change in their lives."
Deputies don't have any suspects right now. They believe whoever is committing these crimes is from the area, and think it's more than one person.
If you know anything, call Marshall County Crimestoppers at 1-800-729-2169.
