Three Conover churches targeted in break-ins

By: Richard Gould | Hickory Daily Record
Published: February 17, 2012
Updated: February 17, 2012 - 6:36 PM

CONOVER --

Three churches and an insurance office have been broken into in Conover in a nine-day span. In all four cases, the thieves used similar entry methods and the crime scenes are close together.

Conover’s Chief of Police Steve Brewer said he suspects the same people committed all four break-ins.

Faith Lutheran Church at 439 Seventh St. Pl., SE, was broken into on the night of Feb. 6. The break-in was reported the next day. Thieves had broken in through a window to steal $163 in cash and checks. They caused $200 in damage to the church in the process, according to the incident report.

Concordia Lutheran Church at 216 Fifth Ave., SE was targeted next. On Feb. 9, church workers discovered the break-in. This time the thieves caused $300 in damage to the building when they smashed a window to gain access to the church. They stole a $700 laptop computer and $2 in cash.

The Nationwide Insurance office down the street from Concordia Lutheran at 103 Third Street was broken into on Feb. 11. Thieves smashed a $250 double-pane window to steal $40 in quarters, according to the incident report.

The most recent church break-in to be reported in Conover was at Woodlawn Baptist Church reported on Wednesday. It’s located at 440 Seventh St. Pl., SW, across the street from Faith Lutheran Church. Jewelry, a purse and coins worth $18 were reported stolen. Four hundred dollars in damage to an exterior window and an interior door was reported.

Investigators are working to catch the criminals.

“We are working with our churches and keeping a close eye on them with increased patrols,” Brewer said.

Anyone with any information about the thieves or the break-ins is asked to call the Conover police department at 464-4698.