$35,000 worth of items stolen from Bethel Bible Village

HIXSON, Tenn. (WDEF) — A thief stole thousands of dollars’ worth of items from Bethel Bible Village in Hixson.

The theft happened early Tuesday morning, sometime between midnight and 1 a.m., the organization said.

According to Bethel Bible, a person in a red truck stole two industrial-sized Kubota mowers. They also said the truck came through the main entrance on Hamill Road and loaded the landscaping equipment onto a trailer.

The suspect also stole two chainsaws, a blower, a trimmer and a weed eater, officials said. “It is believed at this time that the red truck was the only vehicle involved in the theft activity,” they continued.

The non-profit estimated the value of stolen items to be around $35,000.

Bethel offers residential care, therapeutic services and education to children in crisis. They are privately funded by individuals, churches, businesses and foundations. In addition, “a theft of this magnitude takes money directly from its programs,” the organization explained.

The President of Bethel Bible Village, Rosalind Connor, said she would tell the thieves, “I would tell them they are taking money away from children who need care, who are coming out of very unfortunate situations, and need care. We feed these three meals a day, they go to school right here on our campus and they have literally taken money from the kids.”

Anyone who has information on this theft should contact the Chattanooga Police Department, at 423-643-5000.