Caught on camera: Vandal breaks into historic church, destroys property 3 times; takes nothing

EAST MOUNT AIRY - Thou shalt not steal. It’s a message members of one East Mount Airy Church say has been missed on a serial vandal.

Philadelphia police say the man was caught on video breaking into the Germantown Church of the Brethren on the 6600 block of Germantown Avenue three separate times in less than a month.

"They broke in right here. Three times they came in the same place," says Joseph Craddock showing FOX 29 the broken vestibule window.

Craddock has been a minister at the Germantown Church of the Brethren for 27 years. But this past month his faith has been tested.

While opening up for worship, he discovered someone had broken into the historic church back on March 19th.  And then the same guy hit again two nights later on March 21st.

The place was a mess. Craddock says quick review of surveillance video showed the guy inside trashing furniture and a flat screen tv.

To make matters worse, it happened a third time on April 8th. Police say the same man broke through the same window and smashed another tv then left. As far as the church can tell, he took nothing.

"My whole attitude changed. I mean I now have to ask God to regroup me because I am angry and upset. Human emotion took over," says Craddock.

Members, who just celebrated the Church’s 300th Anniversary, are saddened that whoever did this for whatever reason keeps targeting their church, seemingly without reason.

"They don’t care. They don’t care, but if they do this to something that’s sacred to other people, I mean something they can come to, ain’t no telling what they will do to you," said church member Celeste Carter.

The church will repair the damage, including that broken window. Disappointed in what happened, members will continue to do what they’ve always done for the past three centuries - pray for him.

"We love him and we are sorry that you are going through whatever is causing you to bring harm to God’s building and hurting people of God. But we are praying for you," said Craddock.

The church was already in the process of upgrading its security systems.

Police say if you recognize the person in the video, please call Philadelphia Police Northwest Detectives at 215-686-3353 or 3354.