Kingsessing church offers prayers for Burglar

KINGSESSING (WTXF) - He struck late at night, breaking down the front doors of the Healing Waters Church on South 56 th Street.

Pastor Kathleen Tabb says this cold hearted criminal didn't just hurt her church, he hurt the community.

"My prayer is that he will be caught," she said. "Yes I believe in redemption, but I also believe in accountability."

The suspect was caught on tape as he entered the small church in the 1700 block of South 56 th Street.

Once inside he ripped off a big flat screen TV and a portable stereo system. He calmly walked out the front door, carefully closing the door behind him.

Two minutes later the thief returned, entered the church again and stole more equipment from Pastor Tabb's congregation.

The Pastor says her church can't afford setbacks like this. The church has limited resources. She used the flat screen TV's for PowerPoint presentations for Bible classes and her Strong Sisters of Faith program.

"I feel strongly about helping the community," she said. "Impacting the community in a positive way."

Police say the suspect could be from the neighborhood. He wore a distinctive t-shirt and has a tattoo on his forearm. The surveillance video is good quality, so investigators and the Pastor believe someone should recognize the suspect.