Burglars target local church, relief organization on two occasions

    Someone apparently slipped into the New Hope on the Plains building twice this month and burglarized it, damaging doors and stealing equipment.
    There were no signs of forced entry for either burglary, which led New Hope's executive director, Jerry Ketner, to conclude that someone had entered the building while it was open and waited until the coast was clear.
    "The only speculation we have is that someone got in and hid until they could start stealing," he said Monday.
    The burglar or burglars broke three doors during the May 4 incident but did not damage anything else or steal any equipment, Ketner said. Then on May 7, someone demolished the New Hope office door and stole the hard drive from the organization's computer.
    Someone also targeted the Nueva Esperanza Church of the Nazarene, located inside the New Hope building at 811 Avenue A, on May 7, said Rev. Joel Tuchez. Whoever it was stole another computer hard drive, musical instruments, a computer, two sound mixers and other items.
    Ketner estimated it would cost New Hope about $1,240 to repair the damage and replace the hard drive, while Tuchez estimated the loss to Nueva Esperanza at about $15,000. They said New Hope and the church have only limited insurance.
    Police Chief John Ball said the investigation into the burglaries is continuing, and police have not identified a suspect yet.
    Anyone with information about the burglaries should contact the police department at (620) 225-8126 or CrimeStoppers at either 1-877-424-4414 or (620) 227-STOP (7867).
    Ketner said people with knowledge of the burglaries can also contact him at (620) 339-9567.

Reach Eric Swanson at (620) 408-9917 or e-mail him at eric.swanson@dodgeglobe.com.