Thief Swipes Instruments At Two Miramar Churches
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MIRAMAR (CBSMiami) -- Two South Florida churches are hoping an instrument-stealing thief will soon be facing the music for his crimes.
At the Holiness Born Again Church of Jesus Christ, located at 6452 Pembroke Road in Miramar, they worship with song -- oftentimes, it's the highlight of the service.
"That's what gets everyone together, so it's really important," said a neighbor.
But there, the music has stopped -- at least some of it. Someone stole the electronic keyboard.
On March 20th, a man pulled up to the church in what appears to be a gray or silver Prius or Sentra. Making his way to the front of the building, surveillance video shows him take a concrete block and smash the glass door. He walks inside and moments later, leaves with an electronic keyboard.
It may not seem like a big loss, but for a small congregation, it's significant.
"This is obviously a big deal for them and their members as well. It's not something they can easily replace," said Tania Rues from the Miramar Police Dept.
They think this guy was very busy and on the same night that he hit the church, he next went to the Miramar Lutheran Church at 7790 LaSalle Blvd and broke in.
Broken glass still covers the ground where someone smashed in a large window behind some bushes. Once inside, the story is the same -- a stolen electronic keyboard.
Investigators believe the cases are connected.
"It's just unusual to have two separate churches broken in on the same night, within two hours of one another. And in both cases, a piano keyboard is stolen," said Rues.
Members of both congregations are praying that the music and keyboards make their way back to church. They're also praying the man finds religion.
"If he gets saved then he will have testimony," said Minister Altimon Nepaul from the Holiness Born Again Church of Jesus Christ. "He will testify he's done this thing and he's sorry."
Anyone who can help police identify or locate the man is urged to call Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.