Kalihi church makes
repairs after arsonPolice say someone broke in
looking for money and set the fire
Workers were cleaning up and making repairs yesterday after a burglary and fire Monday night at the Beckley Street chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kalihi.
Police said someone broke into a church building that adjoins the chapel at 1723 Beckley St. before 9:42 p.m. and started a fire.
Honolulu fire officials estimated the damage at $30,000 to the structure and $10,000 to the building's contents, mostly from heat and smoke.
The church is preparing for a convention at the building this weekend, expected to draw between 1,200 and 1,500 attendees. The large building includes church offices and is where youth activities are held and a genealogy center is located. It will be closed the rest of the week, a church official said.
The suspect or suspects broke into six offices and went through drawers apparently looking for money, but did not take anything, said Richard Navas, a church representative. The fire was set in a bishop's office and destroyed an air conditioner and all the furnishings in the office, he said.
"We've had break-ins before, but this is by far the worst" because of the fire, said Navas. "If it wasn't for the neighbors who alerted the fire department when they saw smoke," the building could have been destroyed, he said. No one affiliated with the chapel was there at the time.
Colin D. White, Honolulu West stake president, said, "Never in LDS chapels is money kept in any way, shape or form."