Package thief steals North Texas church's donate school supplies

MESQUITE, Texas - Boxes of school supplies for students in need were taken from a home in Mesquite.

UPS delivered the packaged to the home of a church member and someone who likely didn’t realize the boxes were full of school supplies stole them.

Surveillance video from the home caught the thief in the act in broad daylight. He drove up and loaded the boxes filled with $600 worth of supplies and backpacks into his car.

Members of the Greater Works Church in Garland have been collecting donations for the back-to-school products for a while now. They planned to give them away at an event on Aug. 20.

The church pastor said the whole point was to let the students know they’re supported.

“It’s more than just, ‘Hey, I got supplies for you.’ It’s also, ‘Hey, somebody cares.’ Sometimes they think it’s them and their family against the world and just to know there are people who don’t know them personally gives them an extra boost,” said Pastor Anthony Bates.

Church members will try to buy more supplies at the last minute. They’re accepting donations online at www.greaterworksdfw.org.

They also hope someone will recognize the thief or his car and call police.