Air conditioners vandalized: Ann Shidler, left, and Audrey Zaiser, two members of the Lehigh Acres Church of Christ inspect an area in which air conditioning units were vandalized and stripped of their copper tubing. The loss may be as much as $15,000 to $20,000 and church members are not sure they have insurance. MEL TOADVINE

About three dozen people attend the Church of Christ at 7850 Buckingham Rd. on the northern outskirts of Lehigh. They are upset because thieves destroyed three large air conditioners last week by stripping them of parts.

Ann Shidler and Audrey Zaiser, both members of the small country church, said they were devastated on learning one night last week that the three units had virtually been destroyed.

Estimates of the loss range between $15,000 to $20,000, Shidler said. One of the air conditioners was a three-ton unit and the other was a five-ton unit.

While the small congregation is barely getting by financially, the minister, Jody Davis, includes the thieves in prayers at the church.

“He prays for them to do what is right,” Shidler.

Davis called the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 13 shortly after 3 p.m. after he discovered that the units had been destroyed. All that is left are fans and some other parts, for the units are gone, most likely for the money the thief or thieves can make by selling the parts and cashing in on the copper tubing.

“You would think that if they took that stuff to a local recycler, they would be reported,” said Shidler, who said she had a friend who took aluminum cans to a recycler and she had to show her identify before they could be sold.

“Of all days, it happed on Friday the thirteenth, too” Shidler said.

Pastor Davis told investigators he had stopped by the church and noticed that the units on the side had been vandalized. He walked behind the church where there was another unit and it had been taken too with the copper tubing cut away.

He told investigators he believed the vandalism occurred sometime between noon on Jan. 8 and 3:10 p.m. on Jan. 13. He said three coils were removed from the rear of the building which is not enclosed.

Neither of the air conditioners were secured with any type of iron or steel frames. And the area behind the church is somewhat secluded where a thief may not be easily seen.

Investigators processed the incident with negative results and a neighborhood canvass was conducted with no additional information, according to a sheriff’s report.

“It was Friday night when we attended a service at the church when we heard the terrible news,” said Audrey Zaiser, who has been a member of the church since 2002.

And there is more bad news. Church member Ann Shidler says she doesn’t believe the church had the right insurance.

“But we are doing everything we can to see if there is any way we can make a claim,” she said.

“We are but a small church of people and we sometimes don’t even raise more than a few hundred dollars at services. Yet we gave a charity mission $200, something we had planned to do.

“But like I said the pastor prayed that God’s will be done. Maybe the thief or thieves will realize what they have done and turn themselves in,” she said.

“We are taking up donations to help pay for them,” Shidler said. “And some of our members have already given. We hope to have air conditioners back up by summer when it is so hot. We have ceiling fans, but they don’t cool the church,” she said.

One of the members of the church said he has a family member who will donate his time in installing new air conditioners.

“We all have to just pitch in to help,” Shidler said.

Contributions to help the church may be made to the church and mailed to PO Box 1601, Lehigh Acres, 33970.

The church has both a clothing and food pantry for those needing clothes and food.

For help, people can call 239-694-2223.

The church which never changed its name after moving to Buckingham 10 years ago holds services on Sundays and different nights for a congregation of around 35 members.

Looking sadly at what was left of the fans and other items where the air conditioners once were located, Shidler said. “The Lord will provide a way. We live by faith.”

But she warned other churches in the area.

“I hope they have their air conditioners secured in some way that this can’t happen to them. Everyone needs to be very careful. This type of thing has been happening for some time now since the price for certain metals have increased in price,” she said.

CAPTION FOR PHOTO AT RIGHT:

Air conditioners vandalized: Ann Shidler, left, and Audrey Zaiser, two members of the Lehigh Acres Church of Christ inspect an area in which air conditioning units were vandalized and stripped of their copper tubing. The loss may be as much as $15,000 to $20,000 and church members are not sure they have insurance. MEL TOADVINE