Local church targeted in three break-ins in one week

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DAYTON — A church is looking for answers after a string of break-ins left it with expensive repairs.

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“We’re missing stuff. We are missing equipment, we are missing pipes, we are losing hardware,” Frank Simonson, elder trainee, said.

Three break-ins all within the same week at East Dayton Christian Church.

It started on Wednesday, then they came back Saturday night.

“More copper pipe missing along with some additional tools,” Simonson said.

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And again Sunday night.

“He came back and took the large drain out of our baptistry along with a lot of other copper pipe, and he cut the copper wiring from our sound system,” Simonson said.

He believes the suspect came in through a youth room window, breaking a different window each time he came in.

Simonson said these items can be replaced.

“Everyone in the church, everyone that has anything to do with the church is okay,” he said.

Kyle Gulley, the church’s pastor, said this will not stop them from having service.

“I’ve already had worship team leaders and people telling me that we’ll do what’s necessary,” he said.

Gulley said they have received a lot of support after the break-ins.

One neighboring business even offered security cameras.

As far as the suspect, they have no clue who it could be and hope Dayton police can find them.

Gulley had a message.

“I just hope that whoever the suspect is or whoever’s done this, that he meets God, sees God,” Gulley said.

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