Businesses who dedicate themselves to helping others are being targeted in central Ohio.
Just recently, several churches were broken into in Ross County. At one church, the thieves got away with 100 feet of copper tubing.
"Here is where you can see they clipped it right off," said Father Lawrence Hummer from St. Marys Catholic Church. "How else can you feel except violated?"
Hummer said that the thieves have broken in twice. The first time it happened was back in December when the thieves got in through the basement, ONN's Stephanie Mennecke reported on Wednesday.
"They just took a crow bar and popped it in the middle of the night and just popped it right off," Hummer said.
The second time was this past weekend when the thieves broke through the office door.
"They stole two computer screens and monitors, but not the computers themselves," Hummer said.
Chillicothe police are now stepping up their patrols and said that St. Marys is one of at least seven charitable organizations recently hit.
Love INC was also robbed this past weekend, Mennecke reported.
"In total, we had two computer screens, a laptop and a cash box that ended up being missing," said Love INC Director Mike Howard.
Howard said that the office door was jimmied open.
"I normally have a computer monitor right there so that was the first thing we noticed was missing," Howard said.
Love INC has also been hit two times as well. Aside from the room that they are renting on the other side of town, they also own a building which they're in the process of renovating.
"A couple of weeks ago we had copper wiring stolen at that building as well," Howard said.
Even though these organizations are losing thousands of dollars, they said that they're not losing hope.
"We keep doing what we are doing because we know who we are doing it for and why we are doing it," Hummer said. "We are doing it for God and to help people in need."
Police said that so far they've made no arrests and have no suspects.
If you know anything about these break-ins you're asked to call the Chillicothe Police Department at 740-773-1191.
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