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WEST HAVEN — Several air conditioning units were severely damaged at two LDS meetinghouses in West Haven. Investigators say it will cost thousands of dollars to repair them.
Someone went to the church at 3330 S. 4700 West Wednesday night and cut the copper tubing out of an air conditioning unit. A few days earlier, four units were torn out at 3628 S. 2700 West.
"We don't know if it's the same people. It's a very high likelihood that it would be the same people involved," said Weber County Sheriff's Lt. Mark Lowther.
Brothers Brandon and Court Butler have attended church services at both meetinghouses.
"It's sad that people do that kind of thing, to vandalize churches to get money,” neighbor Brandon Butler said. “It's … like all of us, we just work for what we have."
"It's expensive to fix that stuff, costs a lot more than what they get for the copper and stuff," Brandon Butler said.
It’s going to cost a lot more to fix the damage than what the thieves likely got for the copper.
“One of the more frustrating things about these types of incidents is these individuals cause thousands of dollars, if not tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to obtain $40 or $50 worth of copper," Lowther said.
If anyone sees vehicles or people who look suspicious hanging around buildings, churches or schools, or any other large building that has these air conditioning units, they should call 911 or report the suspicious activity.
As for the thieves, Court Butler had this message: “Get a job and realize that it affects a lot of people when you start stealing things.”