The dirt roads of farm-filled northeast Plant City were still littered with downed trees and debris from Hurricane Irma Thursday when Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Frank Harned was in his cruiser searching for a stolen church van.
First Baptist Church Midway, which as of Friday morning was still without power, had been first burglarized sometime between Monday evening and Tuesday Morning, while much of the city was still in the dark trying to assess damage from the weekend’s hurricane. Wednesday, the thieves returned for the van. After an anonymous tip led police to search the area for the van Thursday morning, Harned got a call on his radio saying the church had been hit again. That’s when he asked for a little divine intervention.
“My wife is religious. I have my moments,” Harned said. “But today I said, ‘God, show me this guy so I can take care of your church.’ I almost ran into him.”
Minutes after saying his prayer, Harned said, he had to slam on his brakes as the white van sped past him while he was getting ready to turn from Mayday Drive to Wilder Road. He followed the van about a quarter mile to Quail Oaks Drive and pulled it over, just one mile down the road from FBC Midway.
Miguel Zavala, the van’s sole occupant, was arrested at the scene. The tip reported Zavala, 18, was seen with two as-yet unidentified males.
“Three times they hit us this week,” FBC Midway Pastor Mike Rippy said. “They came back and robbed us with our own van.”
In the first strike, Rippy said, thieves broke a window and unlocked a door stealing snacks and a donation box with $100 in cash
from the children’s ministry, as well as Rippy’s computer, iPad and a hard drive with more than 10 years of sermons, notes and other personal work. They also stole a number of church keys. The van was stolen from church property Wednesday afternoon. Sometime between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, Rippy said, the youth ministry building was broken into. A TV and other items were stolen, he said.
According to HCSO, when the van was searched, deputies discovered some of the items from FBC Midway and a number of TVs from St. Clement Catholic Church.
“They (HCSO) were able to determine he was in possession of property from St. Clement,” Plant City Police Department Spokesman Al Van Duyne said. “They broke into the separate trailers on the backside of the church. The property was valued at around $1,000.”
HCSO charged Zavala with grand theft of a motor vehicle and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling during a state of emergency for the FBC Midway break in. PCPD charged him with three counts each of criminal mischief to a place of worship and burglary of an unoccupied structure during a state of emergency. The investigation is ongoing.
Van Duyne said the charges are “enhanced” because of the governor’s state of emergency, meaning what might normally be a third degree charge would increase to second degree.
The three strikes weren’t FBC Midway’s first. About two weeks ago, Rippy said, three guitars and a microphone were stolen. There are no suspects in that case.
In the aftermath, FBC Midway has had to incur a number of costs to replace and re-secure its property. Rippy said it cost $500 for new locks and keys, $350 to block the church’s entry and $1,800 for video surveillance.
Being robbed, Rippy said, made him feel vulnerable, but also solidified the resolve of his congregation and brought its members closer together.
“Morale is great. We’re not going to let anything deter us,” he said. “Even with them breaking into our church, we forgive them and love them. We love them as God loves them. It’s not something we’re holding on to.”