When the employee arrived at 10 a.m., he was surprised to see the back door opened and his office’s air-conditioning unit taken out of its window.
There was also no electricity in the building.
The Department of Public Safety and Commonwealth Utilities Corp. were called to investigate.
They learned that the burglars entered the building by detaching the air-conditioning unit from its window, adjacent to the back door, and then forcing open the door to the sound booth.
Burglars used bolt-cutters in opening the power room.
CUC personnel told church members that the crime could not be pulled off by just one person, and especially without the skills or professional knowledge required for the handling of high-voltage equipment.
Basaldua estimated that between 400 to 500 lbs. of power line were taken by the burglars, who yanked it underground from the power room to the main building.
Only the drum set and keyboards were left behind by the burglars.
From the sound booth, high-quality speakers, a DVD recorder, a television, and a bush cutter were taken.
Church members believed that the burglary happened after their service on Sunday afternoon.
Church members said they and Senior Pastor Cliff Shoemake, who was off island, were saddened by the incident.
Church members could only shake their heads in disbelief.
“We don’t know what will happen for our service on Sunday. We don’t have electricity, instruments, and equipment,” said a church member.
Last June, burglars also struck the church and took valuable items.
The New Covenant Life Church, with over 100 members, moved into the building in 2007.
The church spent $3,000 for the rewiring of the building, which used to be a night club.
