74-year-old Virginia pastor chases copper thief; church left with thousands in repair costs

PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. -- A Virginia pastor who tried to chase down a copper thief said his church is now facing thousands of dollars in repair costs.

Pastor Larry Hudnall said when he walked into Abundant Life Church on Friday, Jan. 19, he noticed the building was very chilly.

When he walked outside to check the church’s heating and cooling systems, he said the units “had been stripped and there were some tools lying on the ground.” Hudnall said.

Hudnall rushed back inside to call Prince George Police.

But when he walked back outside, he made a startling discovery.

“When I came out the door, he was down here like this, grabbing the scrap up and he turned and looked at me and said, ‘Oh no,’” Hudnall said.

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As the suspect turned to run, the 74-year-old pastor gave chase.

“It was natural to chase him, I’m really not sure what I would have done if I’d caught him,” Hudnall acknowledged.

As he was running, he called 911.

“She said don’t go into the woods and follow him,” Hudnall said the dispatcher told him.

Fortunately, a nearby police officer was able to apprehend the suspect.

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But now the church is left with four units that were “cut to pieces.”

“They’re chopping them up for scrap metal, the copper and taking them somewhere and selling it,” Hudnall explained.

The units are essentially hollowed out, worthless shells and are very expensive to replace.

In fact, Hudnall said the first estimate he received was a whopping $91,800. A second estimate came in at $60,000.

While the church does have insurance, it is unclear how much the house of worship may have to pay since their inside air handlers will also have to be replaced.

Then there is the deductible.

“We’re a small church, we’re not a large church. We don’t have large finances to lean on,” Hudnall said.

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And the pastor said he does not believe his church was the only property targeted in the county.

“My understanding is about five churches in this area have already been hit in the same way,” Hudnall said.

While an arrest has been made in the case, Prince George Police are not releasing the suspect’s name or the charges he is facing.

The church had the emergency heat rewired so they can have some heat in the building, but that came with a hefty price tag when the electric bill arrives.

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