Church falls prey to burglars twice
By BRENDA SOMMER news@journal-spectator.com

Police need your help to find the burglars who broke into a local church twice in five days, but church officials are determined not to give in to fear.

West Wharton County Crime Stoppers is offering a $500 reward for information that solves the two burglaries, during which three televisions were stolen.

According to Crime Stoppers coordinator and El Campo Police Officer Cindy Howell, the first burglary took place Sunday, April 20 between noon and 1 p.m., while a custodian was cleaning St. Roberts Catholic Church's education building at 512 Tegner.

"During lunch, while the custodian was gone, unknown suspects stole two televisions," Howell said.

A 40-inch Sony plasma television worth $1,500 and a 20-inch flat-screen Magnavox television with a VCR/DVR player worth $250 were taken during that theft.

The church was struck again the following Friday night.

The building was opened at 11 a.m. the next morning by a priest, and he found that sometime during the night, someone had broken out windows in the kitchen and bathroom.

"The church was going to have an auction," Howell said. "A 20-inch Sylvania TV was missing. Other auction items were opened, but nothing else was stolen."

The television was worth about $200, and the windows will cost about the same to be repaired.

Father Lawrence Matula, pastor at St. Roberts, said that television was going to be a raffle item, but the two stolen earlier in the week were used for religious education.

Matula said he believes the televisions will be covered by the church's insurance, as was a statue stolen from St. Roberts in August 2006.

As he avowed then, Matula said his policy of keeping the church open at all times, for those who need haven, will not change.

"I keep the church open 24 hours a day, and overall we have been blessed," he said. "What is locked is what they break (into)."

El Campo PD Chief Jim Elliott said he was disgusted by the burglaries.

"That's got to be the lowest point in our society, when things like that happen," he said.

"It doesn't get any lower than that."

Crime Stoppers will pay a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and grand jury indictment of those responsible for these burglaries, Howell said. Call Crime Stoppers at 543-8477 or Detective Gary Williamson at the ECPD at 543-5311.