Police still seek thief who targeted church

GOOSE CREEK - A thief who reportedly stole as much as $4,000 in donations from the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church last weekend is still at large.

"Very low," hospitality minister Lorraine Wihtelich said Tuesday. "I know times are desperate but he's going to have to answer to a higher power."

A police incident report says a sum of money, which included donations earmarked for the building fund, was discovered missing Sunday from the church lock box where the collection plate gifts are kept. The box contained two cloth money bags, where normally there would be six, officials said.

Pastor Frank Palmieri said the loss could approach $10,000 when checks are factored in.

Palmieri said the brazen theft apparently occurred between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday, when some 700 people were attending a service.

A witness reported seeing a white male in a black suit coming from the room where the money was kept. He appeared to be carrying a large white pillow case under his arm. The suspect had short, reddish-brown hair, was over 6 feet tall, and weighed about 225 pounds.

Wihtelich said the description does not match anyone she knows is part of the church. He must have been watching to see how the money was collected and handled, she said.

A police incident report had this to say about security at the church: "While observing the process, I noted that the ushers did not close the door behind them when they entered the room or when the were placing the money into bags. Anyone standing in the hallway of the church would've had a clear view of the entire process and would've seen where the money was kept."

Palmieri is asking congregation members to stop payment on the checks that were stolen. He said he is hopeful banks won't charge a fee for that service because a crime was involved. But he said the theft will likely create "a hardship on many families."

Reach Schuyler Kropf at 937-5551, or skropf@postandcourier.com.