Praying 78-year-old robbed inside of Tennessee church by team of thieves, video shows
A prayerful moment with strangers in a Tennessee church turned sinister after women stole from a 78-year-old churchgoer, police said.
The 78-year-old woman had settled into the pews of Hilldale Baptist Church on Feb. 9 in Clarksville when two women approached her and started a conversation, the Clarksville Police Department said on Facebook. One of the suspects sat in the pew in front of the victim, police said, while the other sat behind.
The unsuspecting woman had arrived early for the church’s service at 6:30 p.m. that evening, according to pastor Larry Robertson.
“After a short conversation, one of the females requested the victim pray with her,” the police department wrote on Facebook. “While they were praying, the second female rummaged through the victim’s purse and stole her wallet.”
Less than an hour after the robbery, the service began and pastor Larry Robertson shared the story with the rest of the church, telling members that after the women prayed, they left. The victim picked up her wallet and immediately felt that something was wrong, Robertson said.
“I’m mad, I’m ticked,” Robertson told his congregation. “... Keep your eye on your wallet, even at church I guess.”
He later added: “People know that Christians are kind and trusting and the devil knows it, too.”
The group of thieves, which appear to be four women in total, were later seen exiting Sam’s Club, where they had used the woman’s credit card on a shopping spree, according to police.
The women spent $7,000 at the store using the victim’s credit cards, police told Inside Edition.
“It’s sickening,” Robertson said in an interview with Inside Edition. “What happened is ridiculously evil.”
The Clarksville Police Department asked for the public’s help in identifying the women, urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 931-645-8477 or Detective Bradley at 931-648-0656, ext. 5159, WTVF reported.
