Three Churches in Hannibal and one in New London have been burglarized in the past week.
And with it being so close to Christmas, people are wondering how and why this happened.
First Assembly of God was just one of the four churches burglarized, but you can see the damage. They broke into a safe and kicked in four different doors looking for valuables. The congregation at First Assembly and the Embassy Christian Center can't believe a church, of all places,would be broken into.
I was just kind of freaking out and I was hoping someone maybe have moved it or something. You don't think people would steal from a church from all places," said Dominique Lilo.
"I think your first initial reaction is shock because you are a church you don't expect that to happen at first," said Senior Pastor at First Assembly of God Aaron Gravett.
Gravett said burglars took $300 after breaking into the church's safe, but they didn't stop there. They broke into different rooms looking for more. They apparently broke in the front door by pulling on the lock so hard that they bent the locking mechanisms. Then they were able to the door and walk right on in."
Gravett says this is by far the largest burglary he's dealt with.
"We have had a little juveniles that have tried to break in but never something on this magnitude," said Gravett.
The burglars also stole about $5,000 from the Embassy Christian Center on North Street, and now the church is taking extra care. Dominique Lilo said before the burglary, she thought the church was secure.
"Well I felt like the measures we were taking were plenty. You know we were doing enough and now I feel like we need to do even more when we're not here in the building," Lilo said.
