From what started as members of a Milton church noticing discrepancies in their year-end tax documents, police are now searching for thieves they say have been stealing checks from the church mailbox.
The thefts at Birmingham United Methodist Church along Birmingham Highway were first reported to Milton police Feb. 1 after multiple tithe checks were taken, police said Tuesday.
Four days later, a van and two people, who police believe are likely women, were seen at the location about 4:30 p.m., authorities said. One of the people appeared to be shielding the mailbox with a jacket, police said. A photo of the two people and a 2006 to 2011 Kia Sedona was released by officials on the Milton Police Department’s Facebook page.
“It is not known if these subjects are involved in the reported thefts, but this does appear suspicious, and we would like to speak with them,” police said.
Since the investigation began, authorities discovered that the thefts had been occurring intermittently since April 2021, police spokesman Capt. Charles Barstow said. It appears that at least $8,000 in donations have been stolen, he added.
Anyone with information on the incident or the two people is asked to contact Detective Scott Harrell at scott.harrell@cityofmiltonga.us.
About the Author
