Intruders break into a Southeast Side church three times in one day, pastor says

Security camera footage shows how suspects cut hole into side of church, stole sound equipment

SAN ANTONIO – Pastor Louise Benson, of the Greater New Genesis Christian Center, says the church has been at its location on the Southeast Side for nearly a decade and what has taken place is certainly a first.

The Christian center located in the 100 block of Hanna Street was broken into on Thursday.

Benson, who was off the property, says she received a notification that the alarm system at the church had gone off that afternoon. She says she immediately notified the police. Benson states she was given a case number and was told it was a false alarm.

It wasn’t until the pastor arrived at the church that she quickly learned it wasn’t a false alarm. The security camera footage showed the intruders who came to the church three times throughout the day.

Security cameras at the Greater New Genesis Christian Center not only captured the moments intruders broke into the church but also a patrol unit arriving on the scene around the same time and do nothing, according to Benson.

“They didn’t think enough of the church to get out and patrol the perimeter and see what was happening around the outside of the church because, if they had, they would have caught them red-handed,” Benson said.

Considering it was plain daylight, the suspects executed what Benson says a well-thought-out operation. The burglars cut a hole into the side of the building, gaining access directly into the church’s sanctuary.

“I’m at a loss for words at the fact that somebody would be so bodacious in the middle of the day to cut a hole in the wall and take what belongs to God. I’m angry about,” Benson said.

Benson says the suspects took a large part of the center’s sound system. While they’re still taking inventory, she says microphones, switchboards, and monitors are also among the stolen items.

The Christian center is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who can provide information that could lead to an arrest and recover their sound system.


About the Authors:

Jonathan Cotto is a reporter for KSAT’s Good Morning San Antonio. He’s a bilingual award-winning news reporter and he joined KSAT in 2021. Before coming to San Antonio, Cotto was reporting along the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas. He’s a veteran of the United States Navy.