PINEHURST, Texas — Community tips led to the recovery of an air conditioning unit after it was stolen from a church in Pinehurst.
Destiny Church Pastor Johnny Asevedo posted about the theft on Facebook and tips rolled in.
It was while prepping for Monday prayer when church members discovered one of their AC units was stolen.
"So, we came in and my wife said 'babe it's really hot in here.' So, I told her to go check the unit, and she said there was only one unit here. I said 'no there is supposed to be two.' I got her to send me a picture of it, and sure enough one was completely gone," Asevedo said.
Asevedo notified Pinehurst police and posted to social media, hoping the community would help out.
"I shared it on social media and it blew up, people were sharing it and it went all over, seemed like people here to Houston were sharing it," he said.
An anonymous tip from that post led them to finding the unit behind a home on the other side of Martin St.
The landlord found it and confronted the people she believes stole it.
"It was able to get us to the place we needed to go to find it," Asevedo said.
No charges have been filed at this time, but the unit was damaged beyond repair.
"So far we have donations amassing close to a thousand dollars and half of that was from one ministry in our area. So, that was a blessing," Asevedo said.
Asevedo says the community's response makes a stronger impact than the actions of thieves.
"You know Orange is such a great community, such a blessed community and Southeast Texas as a whole. When the chips are down, and the trials happen, you truly see what people coming together, and that's what I love. We had prayers flooding in, we had people donating to us. It was a really awesome thing," he said,
While the unit is back in house, it was heavily damaged and will need to be replaced.