Cleveland was hit by a spree of car break-ins at several churches this Sunday, casting a shadow over communities of faith as they gathered for worship. At historic Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, located at East 89th Street and Quincy Avenue, parishioners returned to a disheartening scene of shattered windows and ransacked vehicles. “You might make it through the storm of this, you might live to praise God through this, you might have a testimony from this,” preached Dr. Jawanza Karriem Colvin during the service, a sentiment tragically echoed in the parking lot, as noted in an article by WKYC.
The thefts occurred while congregations across the city were attending morning services. First responders arrived at the scenes after calls flooded in just before noon. Olivet was not the only venue targeted, Blessed Hope Missionary Baptist Church, among others, also reported similar incidents. The Cleveland Police Department confirmed the break-ins, with dispatchers captured on police radio stating, “They’ve been hitting churches all day,” according to a WKYC report.
In response to the crimes, two teenagers, aged 15 and 16, were arrested after police tracked them down in stolen vehicles. Following a brief chase, they were apprehended and taken to Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center, facing charges including failure to comply and receiving stolen property. More arrests and curfew citations have occurred in recent weeks as part of the Cleveland police’s newly formed STANCE unit, aimed at curtailing property crimes and vehicle break-ins. The unit has achieved over 30 arrests to date, largely involving youths, as WKYC details…