78-year-old woman robbed while praying in church

CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) – Clarksville police say a 78-year-old woman was robbed while praying inside a church.

According to the police department, the woman was in the sanctuary of Hilldale Baptist Church on the evening of February 9 when she was approached by two women.

After a short conversation, one of the women asked to pray with her. Police said while they were praying, the other woman searched the victim’s purse and stole his wallet.

“Our church member reaches into her purse and takes her wallet and thinks it’s funny, different, which is remarkable and so but she opens it, her money is gone or her credit cards are missing and then she realizes she’s been robbed,” senior pastor Larry Robertson said.

Robertson says that after police released the surveillance video, other church members said they remember seeing the women the Sunday before the crime.

“It’s so disappointing and shocking when this happens in a church building to an elderly adult widow, a lady who has just arrived at church early to pray, it’s hard to swallow,” Robertson said.

Police said there was a group of four women in total inside the church with the victim. Three of them were seen on security cameras at a Sam’s Club where the victim’s credit card was used shortly after the robbery.

“My prayer is that if I had the opportunity to meet them again, I would be faithful to them and kind enough to share the gospel with them in hopes that they would trust Christ as their Saviour,” said Robertson.

Clarksville Police are asking anyone with information on who they are to call Crime Stoppers at 931-645-8477 or Detective Bradley at 931-648-0656, ext. 5159.