Thieves cause $20K in stolen charity items, damages at community center

DETROIT (WJBK) - Thousands of dollars of equipment damaged and stolen from a Detroit warehouse, set to be sold to benefit a local charity.

In an effort to reopen the former 4-H Building which is now the Brighter Detroit Community Center for Children, ATVs and other items were being sold to raise money.

Organizers and the owner of the warehouse site on Harper Avenue on Detroit's east side believe the burglary and vandalism happened over night, and those responsible came in the side door.

"When people take things, they think they're taking from people who has more than them," said Nikita Murray, Brighter Detroit Community Center. "But in this case they were taking away from people who have less them because they took away things that were going to benefit children. And the children in our city, they are relying on the adults to make things happen for them and create opportunity for them."

They also stole the tires off this 1988 IROC Camaro, landscaping equipment, TVs were also stolen.

It is believed that the suspects tore down a fence on the property to get in. They also burned up a van on the property for unknown reasons. The losses and damages are in the ballpark of $20,000 and organizers are asking people who live in the neighborhood to speak up.

"The things that were taken were easy to identify if you saw them rolling down the street," Murray said. "If you saw people pushing an ATV down the street, that's typically something you don't see on the east side of Detroit so that's a signal that something is going on that is out of the normal."

The criminals also disabled all of the cameras so the chances of getting a description right now are slim to none.

If you have any information on who is responsible, call Detroit police at (313) 596-5200.