Thieves target AC units at Fuquay Varina church

Pastor Jeffrey Ingold said somebody broke into the church’s three air conditioning units after last Sunday’s services, cutting the cool air off completely in the pre-school wing and in portions of the sanctuary.

“I won’t deny that it hurt. It brought me to tears when I saw it,” said Ingold.

The thieves gutted the air conditioning units and Ingold said that law enforcement officers who responded said that other businesses in the area have also been targeted.

Ingold said others have questioned why thieves would have targeted the church.

“I don’t know. I don’t have an answer for that,” said Ingold. “I would hate that it happens to anybody.”

The pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Youngsville said that six air conditioning units were destroyed there Wednesday night.

According to police, thieves remove the copper from the units and sell them to metal recyclers across the state and even in other states for quick cash.

“If somebody was really in need of $100, it would have been great if they would have walked in and said ‘hey, I really need money to help pay a power bill’,” said church member Paige Krier.

Ingold said that if the person responsible for the theft walked into church today, he would welcome the opportunity to forgive them.

“I would thank God because I’d have an opportunity to say ‘you are forgiven, God loves you’,” said Ingold. The world is full of all sorts of bad, and our job is to try and proclaim the good.”