SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - Copper thieves hit a borough church last week.
Borough police Chief Jeffrey Walcott said someone stole 50 to 60 feet of copper downspouting on the north and northwest sides of St. John's United Church of Christ, 121 E. Main St.
When the three sections were taken is unknown, but it was reported at 1 p.m. July 13. Walcott said the last time anyone noticed the spouting was July 8.
The value of the downspouting isn't known, he said.
The Rev. Janet Lewis, St. John's pastor, said this is the first time the church has suffered theft.
"We're saddened by it as a congregation. This is our house of worship," she said Wednesday.
"It's just sad that someone felt they needed to steal from us," she added.
The downspouting was replaced a few years ago due to wear, she said.
Lewis did not know the weight or the amount of copper taken as the insurance company had not yet been to the site to work out an estimate.
Volunteers working at the church discovered the missing downspouts, which were affixed to the church's stone wall with brackets. The thieves pulled the spouting from the brackets, Lewis said.
She thought five sections of spouting were missing.
Walcott said scrap yards have been notified of the theft and the investigation continues.
Anyone with information should call the Schuylkill Haven Police Department at 570-385-9111.
News of the theft at St. John's follows another notable copper theft reported Tuesday.
Between 6 p.m. June 25 and 7 a.m. July 9, according to state police at Frackville, eight 80-foot rolls of copper power cable were taken from Pottsville Materials LLC along Darkwater Road in New Castle Township.
Copper thefts have become more frequent in recent years as the value of the metal rises. Thieves usually take pipes and wires from vacant buildings instead of hitting occupied and used structures.