$7,500 Taken From Church in Theft During Weekend

More than $7,500 in offerings and fund-raising money was stolen from a South Pasadena church over the weekend, police said.

Money and checks were stolen from Calvary Presbyterian Church at 1050 Fremont Ave. sometime between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, South Pasadena Police Sgt. Kent Stoddard said.

The money and checks were in a locked file cabinet in the church’s office and there were no signs of forced entry, Stoddard said.

The church’s treasurer discovered the loss at about 9:15 Monday morning.

George Robinson, president of the board of trustees for the church, said about $3,400 of the stolen money had been raised at a Saturday festival to benefit the church’s preschool.

“Everybody is very sad about this, particularly the preschool,” Robinson said. “It’s quite a blow to all of us that something like this would happen.”

Robinson said the first offering of each month is the church’s biggest.

“The only thing we can determine is that somebody had the keys and knew exactly where to go and what to do,” he said.

Church officials are changing the locks on the church doors and are having an alarm system installed. Robinson said the church has insurance for the cash loss of more than $2,000, and doubts the checks could be cashed by the thief because they are made out to the church.

Robinson said the church has had petty cash stolen but has never experienced such a significant loss.

“You can expect anything nowadays, I’m afraid,” he said.