Nine air conditioning units ripped from the ground outside Macomb County church

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) - Thieves stole nine air conditioners from the Hope Community Baptist Church on Hayes Road in Sterling Heights sometime late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

Each is estimated to be worth a couple thousand dollars.

Church leaders and the congregation, while frustrated with what has happened, are trying to think about the suspects.

"There actually were prayers going up last night at our prayer meeting for the people that were involved in this crime," said Pastor George Johnson.

Insurance will cover much of the cost. But as the church holds a rummage sale to raise money for a church trip to a South American orphanage, it just got harder to pay for the mission.