A Chicago church seems to have become a burglar magnet.
A break-in Tuesday at the Universal Community Missionary Baptist Church at 108th and State Streets marks 10 in the past year, and this time the thief or thieves cleaned house.
Several air conditioners, more than a dozen laptops, musical equipment, and food from the church food bank were all stolen in the latest heist, said Pastor Dorothy Caffey
Caffey said she is disappointed about the burglaries and pities those who took what belonged to the church.
"That's what makes you feel really sorry for a person," said Caffey. "They just didn't just take food. They didn't worry about the stuff that is in cans, things you have to cook. They took stuff you can eat right away."
Caffey said the burglars might have acted out of desperation and to support a drug habit, as she recalls one of the previous burglaries in which a heater was damaged when someone tried to get at a bit of copper in the unit.
"Can you imagine somebody so desperate?" she said.
Caffey said she helps to support the church financially, but this series of crimes has been especially difficult given her "very diminished" funds.
She remained hopeful the crooks would find the error in their ways and apologize.
"Even though you might not be able to help yourself, you got to feel like 'I don't want to do it' and you got to be able to apologize, and say 'I'm sorry.'"
