Officials: East Flatbush church van stolen overnight
A Brooklyn church is asking for the public's help after its van was stolen just hours before a planned trip to Connecticut.
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A Brooklyn church is asking for the public's help after its van was stolen just hours before a planned trip to Connecticut.
Minister Gabriel Mitchell of Mt. Zion Church of God says he parked the van in front of his new home near Kings Highway and Avenue D last Friday night.
"I washed it, vacuumed it, gassed it up with premium gas," Mitchell said.
But Mitchell says that by the next morning, the van was gone.
Mitchell called 311, thinking it had been towed. It hadn't.
"Who would steal a church bus?" he asked.
The church says the van wasn't just for trips—it was used nearly every day to transport fresh produce, deliver food to senior citizens and provide rides to those in need.
"This is not a joyride vehicle," said Pastor Gilbert T. Monrose.
The church has been in East Flatbush for over 50 years. Mitchell called the loss "a sad day for the church and for the community."
Church leaders are now planning to raise funds for a replacement van and are urging anyone who sees the missing vehicle to contact police.
