Tried Stone Baptist Church in Detroit robbed, vandalized - Fox 2 News Headlines

"Katrina, what people must have felt like when they saw the devastation of Hurricane Katrina," said Pastor Richard Wilson.

Over the last month, thugs have made themselves at home at Tried Stone Baptist Church in Detroit, but for all the wrong reasons.  It wasn't enough just to steal.  They wanted to do permanent damage.

"I can't believe my eyes when I see how devastating this situation is, and it's just hard to swallow," Wilson remarked.

What these criminals did to create the mess was take the radiators off the wall, put them on a table and let them go.

"It tore up a lot of history, a whole lot of, I think, big history," the pastor said.

The big picture is this is happening all over Detroit at homes both vacant and occupied and now at churches and everywhere in between.

"This neighborhood has lost so many people.  That also, I believe, makes this more of an abandoned community," said Wilson.

The pastor was extremely candid when he talked about what he thinks is causing all of the destruction going on not just a Tried Stone, but in Detroit everywhere.

"The problem with our young people today, they are ... feeling like this is the way of life.  This is how I'm going to have to make it," he explained.  "[Doesn't] make [any] difference what kind of building it is or if it's a church or what, I'm going to go get what I want out of it so I can take care of me."

Wilson is working on getting everything repaired and restored.

The pastor praised Detroit Police, saying they've been incredibly helpful.  They arrested two young men Sunday night, and say they're looking for two others, but right now, they don't know who else was involved.

The church has been hit by thieves ten times during the month of July.  In the most recent break-in, the crooks made off with a baby grand piano.