Police investigate 2 church burglaries in same neighborhood
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Police are investigating to see if there’s a possible connection after someone broke into two churches in the same neighborhood.
It happened early Tuesday morning at Zion Unity Baptist Church, 903 E. 30th St., and Church of the New Born Saints, near 30th Street and East Fall Creek Parkway North Drive.
Willie Moses, pastor at Faith Builders Missionary Baptist Church, told 24-Hour News 8 one of the burglaries happened at his old church location on 30th Street. He moved his congregation down the street about a month ago and said he’s not going to let the recent crime stop him from building faith and trust in the neighborhood.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department responded to a call for a break-in about 4:40 a.m. at Zion Unity Baptist Church, but didn’t find anyone inside. A couple hours later, police got another call around 7 a.m. for a break-in at New Born Saints.
In both cases, police believe the suspects forced their way in through the door, according to a police report.
“I’m not surprised, you know, because it happens around in any area where there’s a lot of boarded up houses vacant houses,” Moses said.
Moses said his church used to be at 903 E. 30th St. before moving to another building last month. He spent 6-1/2 years at the old location and said the church was broken into three times.
“I was determined to stay in this neighborhood,” he said. “I really feel if we take the church out of this neighborhood, we won’t have anything left in here and the church is what brings the neighborhood back around.”
Moses said it’s all part of the mission of his church as faith builders.
“Missionary things we’re going to do is personally go out and meet everybody that’s in the neighborhood and let them know, yeah, there’s a church here and everybody’s welcome to come,” he said.
The pastor wants to build the neighborhood, but knows it’s going to take a lot of work.
“I just want to say to the neighborhood and to the churches that have been broken into,” he said. “Don’t get discouraged, keep on believing, keep on trusting and things are going to get better, but it’s going to take a neighborhood, a community, for things to get better.”
Moses said he’s in the process of planning that neighborhood walk. As for the investigation, police said they didn’t have any known suspects or witnesses at this time.
If you have any information that can help police with the investigation, call Crime Stoppers at (317) 262-8477.
