Apopka pastors say thieves are stealing cash donations out of mailboxes
Video shows woman stealing from church cash donation box, authorities say
Authorities say a brazen thief stole cash out of a church's mailbox. Authorities are searching for a woman seen in surveillance video from Grace Street Church of God in Apopka church, where members have been sending their donations to that mailbox. A thief also struck nearby St. Andrews Presbyterian Church.
APOPKA, Fla. - Some church pastors in the Apopka area say thieves are stealing donations from church mailboxes.
Pastor Joe Myers, of Grace Street Church of God, says someone stole their mail with cash donations, three different times. The heist caught on surveillance.
"It was just mind-blowing just to see how calm and collected that they were. Just nonchalant. Just roll up, help themselves and pull off."
About a one-and-a-half miles away at St Andrew's Presbyterian, Pastor Neil Ricketts says donation envelopes from other churches were left in his mailbox torn up.
"This one was sent to Bear Lake Bible Chapel. This is the one that was sent to Sanlando Baptist Church."
He says thieves also took hundreds of dollars in donations sent to his church.
Pastor Ricketts laments, "The biggest thing it hurts is, people want to know that what they’re doing has a benefit. What they’re giving helps us feed the homeless, do ministry."
Because of the pandemic, donations have been low.
Pastor Myers says, "A lot of churches are struggling, the tide, offering is way down because people are not in church."
If you know the person in the grainy video, they are urging people to call law enforcement and let the churches know as well.
"It’s pretty frustrating and I hate to say it, it makes you angry in a way," adds Pastor Myers.
Pastor Ricketts says, "Forgiveness is the answer, but I want to see justice done."
Some of the churches have already changed to mailboxes with locks.
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