Victory Church in Lehigh Acres is dealing with a double blow this week. Just one day after their sanctuary caught fire, the church was targeted by a burglar. The thief made off with thousands of dollars worth of lawn equipment.
Omar Gonzalez, associate pastor, said, "I had to laugh. It was one of those moments where I was like, 'OK, Day 2.' It's kind of like Round 2 in a fight, but we know our God's good, so no matter what, we just rejoice in the storm."
The Lee County Sheriff's Office is investigating the break-in after a burglar cut the lock off a shed at Victory Church, located on Taylor Lane, early Friday morning and stole between $3,000 and $5,000 worth of equipment.
On Thursday morning, the church sanctuary was damaged in a fire. A dozen chairs were melted, but firefighters say the building was saved thanks to the quick action of the sprinkler system.
Pastors at Victory Church tell us the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms informed them that the fire may have been the work of an arsonist. The suspect reportedly pried open the back door of the building to gain entry.
Gonzalez said, "If I can say anything to the person who did it or the people, and we have service at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. every Sunday, so come join us."
We've reached out to the ATF several times to confirm whether the fire was indeed arson, but they say only that the investigation is ongoing. It could take anywhere from a few days to several months to reach a conclusion.
Victory Church will be holding regular services this Sunday.