Three Break-Ins in One Week at Grand Prairie Church

The most recent break-in was discovered Wednesday morning, and the first two incidents happened on May 29 and June 1, according to police.

 

In the first break-in, the burglars broke some windows and punched or kicked several holes in the drywall of the hallway and a classroom inside the building that houses City Chapel's gymnasium, according to Raphael Mnkandhla, the church's youth pastor.

 

The second time around, the burglars stole several pieces of audio and visual equipment from the 29 Youth Ministries building, a youth center on the church's campus at 300 W. Pioneer Parkway.  

 

Items stolen include a video projector that was suspended from the ceiling, several microphones and lights and lighting equipment, according to the police report.

 

In the most recent burglary, the burglars made off with a sound board and audio equipment used for musical arrangements and other events inside the youth center.

 

Pastor Mnkandhla told NBC 5 that one of the primary missions of his church is to reach out to troubled teens in the community. He said he fears it may be some of those same young men and women who are responsible for these crimes.

 

"And the same people that you reach out to are the same people that come back and do this.  And so it's kind of frustrating," Mnkandhla said.

 

Volunteers were busy Wednesday evening boarding up all of the windows to the youth center, which appear to have been the access point for each of the burglaries. Mnkandhla said the church is now looking to install surveillance cameras and an alarm on the property.

 

" We're just trying to move God's agenda," Mnkandhla said. "Personally, I feel this is not just a target on us. One of our members just said, 'Whoever did this is so angry at God.' I just feel like somebody is taking low blows at God. Really that's what it is."