Police are investigating a break-in at an Aylmer church that became notorious for repeatedly breaking public health rules during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Church of God officials reported the break and enter to Aylmer police last Thursday.
Officers determined that sometime between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. last Tuesday, a blue Ford Ranger pickup truck was driven through the church’s chain link gate. The vehicle proceeded to the back of the John Street North church where suspects snatched two tents and “household items” from inside of an unlocked container, police said.
Police are asking anyone with information about the break-in to call them at 519-773-3146 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
The church regularly made headlines in early 2021 for defying provincial pandemic restrictions. The church corporation, its Pastor Henry Hildebrandt, and other church officials were charged and fined as a result. This past March, the church lost a constitutional challenge of Ontario COVID-19 religious gathering rules.
