East Lakeview church broken into for second time in weeks

CHICAGO (CBS) – A church in the East Lakeview neighborhood was broken into for the second time this month.

The pastor of Broadway United Methodist Church said the building sustained a lot of damage but it appeared nothing had been taken.

The person who broke in appeared to be strong enough to lift a flower pot and throw it through a shattered glass window to enter the church.

Broken glass had to be swept up at the entrance of the church in the 3300 block of North Broadway.

Rev. Alka Lyall said she got a text from a church member about the break-in. Lyall lives next door and rushed over to the church. She said there was so much damage, yet nothing appeared to have been taken.

"I'm just sad," she said. "I'm just saddened that it happened."

The glass on the front door was shattered, as was the glass on the door to the pastor's office.

Earlier this month, someone broke into the church and took two computers and a bike. The church hosts programs for people of the Jewish faith, migrants and the LGBTQ community.

The pastor said there was no evidence of a hate crime and the break-in appeared to be a crime of opportunity.

"I'm guessing that it's somebody, whoever it was that did this, was just tyring to get some money," Lyall said. "Resources are limited. Mental health care is dwindling, so it's just a sad situation overall."

Police said the person who broke into the church got away in an orange-colored SUV. The pastor said she's praying for whoever committed this latest crime and hopes they get the help they need.