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CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Carter County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) is asking for the public’s help after a theft at Harmony Free Will Baptist Church.
According to a news release from the CCSO, deputies responded to the church Tuesday regarding a break-in.
The sheriff’s office reports that around 4:30 a.m. a man driving a silver sedan entered the parking lot. The man exited the vehicle and pried open the door to an outside storage building behind the church, the CCSO stated.
The church’s Disaster Relief Coordinator, Quana Roberts, had arrived at the church on Tuesday afternoon to put away newly received donations when she noticed the items were gone.
“I came here after the donation was made just to kind of clear everything up,” Roberts said. “And I noticed that there were things that were missing.”
When she looked at the security footage, Roberts saw a man approach the garage, pry open the door and take some of the donations.
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Credit: Harmony Free Will Baptist -
Credit: Harmony Free Will Baptist -
Credit: Harmony Free Will Baptist
Several items, including tools valued at more than $2,000 were reportedly taken from the church.
However, Roberts said the crime is about more than just a price tag. She said the theft will hinder the church’s ability to help the community recover.
“Taking those chainsaws has a ripple effect throughout the community,” Robert said. “The different houses we have already taken care of. But in the future, we already have a list of other homes that still need work done. And we have volunteers that come in from all over the eastern United States to use those chainsaws or to use other tools that we have.”
Since the theft, the community has reached out to assist. Roberts said the church has received an outpouring of support.
“We have already received a couple of Facebook messages saying, ‘How can we help, how can we replace things?'”
Robert added that if the man truly needed the items he stole, all he needed to do was ask the church.
“To think if he would have just said, ‘I need a heater,'” Roberts said. “Here you go. We would have absolutely given him a heater. [He] just had to ask and we would have gladly have provided those items.”
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 423-542-1849. Tips can be submitted online here.
