Man steals $15,000 in audio equipment from church

WILKINSBURG, Pa. — Wilkinsburg police say thousands of dollars in equipment is missing from a church where a prowler was caught on surveillance video.

It appears to be a crime of opportunity, as the burglar didn't break in through a door, instead cutting a hole in a side window and crawling through.

Now, the Bible Chapel is asking for help in recovering the stolen audio equipment.

"I don't know what his heart was," Rev. Dave DiDonato said. "We do a free breakfast here and a lot of people come through our doors. I'm just thankful it wasn't a face that I recognized."

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The break-in happened last weekend in the middle of the night.

The thief cut through a glass window in the basement before sliding into the church.

Surveillance video shows him trying to open doors, looking for anything of value.

His face can be seen clearly in much of the video.

"Once he got in, of course, he had free reign to get in and out of our doors," DiDonato said. "He obviously didn't seem to know he was on-camera."

The man didn't get any money, but escaped with a sound board and other audio equipment valued at nearly $15,000.

DiDonato expects insurance to cover some of it, but many people have already come forward to donate and help.

He hopes to turn the burglary into a positive experience by helping his congregation come together and preaching forgiveness.

"We already forgave him. If I could even talk to him I would tell him I forgive him," DiDonato said. "Hopefully this incident could change his life."

Cox Media Group