CLEVELAND — Parishioners at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church received a rude surprise Sunday morning after returning to their vehicles following the service; they found them broken into.
After the discovery, Pastor Dr. Jawanza Karriem Colvin posted on Facebook, calling it a "disturbing event."
According to Colvin, other churches in the area experienced similar break-ins.
He went on to say that Olivet will offer support to the parishioners whose vehicles were broken into.
"Olivet has always been committed to providing a safe and secure environment both within and outside our walls," said Colvin. "Olivet is also committed to being a light in our community and in the city of Cleveland, as we have been for nearly a century."
The church is looking into ways to enhance its internal and external security.
According to Cleveland Police Public Information Officer Freddy Diaz, the break-ins happened at least three separate churches, and more than 20 vehicles were broken into.
The department's Real Time Crime Center located the culprits, who were in two stolen cars. Officers caught up with them, and after a brief chase, two juveniles, ages 15 and 16, were taken into custody, Diaz said. A third juvenile managed to evade capture and is still on the loose.
Additionally, it appears that one of the teens fired a gun at someone at one of the churches, according to Diaz.
Specific charges haven't been announced.
