Atlanta

Thief targets Buckhead church several times

ATLANTA, Ga. — The pastor of a local church said a thief keeps breaking in.

Someone has been slipping in to Wieuca Road Baptist Church in Buckhead, stealing whatever they can grab.

Mark Wilbanks, the senior pastor, said one man has found his way into the church five times in two weeks.

“The hard part is, I know that people are hurting and they are struggling, but that doesn’t justify theft so we draw a line,” he said.

One worker made contact with the man and found him with several items, including a laptop.

The man has also stolen food and supplies from the day school and set up camp in a youth room.

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“They can get into a building as big as ours and they can hide, and so we’re working with police to try to get the ones that are up to no good and also try to continue to be a Christian witness in our community,” Wilbanks said.

The church has partnered with four area churches to form Buckhead Christian Ministries. The group helps those who are hungry and who need help getting back on their feet.

“Where we can help somebody, we want to. But when somebody is just stealing, that’s another issue,” Wilbanks said.

The pastor said employees are double-checking locks, securing areas that may have been open in the past and depending on the surveillance cameras around the property.