Church Retreat Trashed; Men Charged with Burglary & Theft

Scott Township, Lackawanna County - Two men are facing charges in Lackawanna County after police caught them stealing aluminum and copper pipes from a church retreat center.

The story doesn't end there because all of the buildings at the retreat center were trashed.

Scott Township police say an off-duty officer was in the right place at the right time. He just happened to be driving by the retreat center buildings last Thursday when he stumbled on the suspect's truck.

The burglary and theft took place at the Apostolic Church Retreat Center on Route 107. 

Building after building was either damaged or destroyed.

"It really makes you sick to see what they did to the buildings," Officer Michael Burke of the Scott Township Police Department said.

Burke was the officer to catch the two men, brothers Lyle and Shane Hugaboom. 

"We went inside, we found tools that they were using," Officer Burke said. "Fresh copper pipes were just cut and the water was still dripping from them."

Church members spent Wednesday securing the buildings but their pastor is heartbroken.

The damage is expected to top $200,000.

"He was crying. Why did these guys do these things? If they want to take something, they should take it but to destroy all the buildings, it's crazy," church member Ezebiel Adeola said.

The New Jersey church recently bought the retreat center on Route 107 and they were using it for summer camps and programs.

For the time being, its future is unclear.

"They were bringing activities and festivities here on the weekends and summer retreats and camps and now, obviously they're back to square one," Scott Township police chief James Romano said. "Everything is destroyed. Every building is destroyed."

Scott Township police urge anyone who sees suspicious activity to give them a call because they have 120 miles of road to patrol. They say the more eyes looking out for crime, the better.