PORTLAND, Or - For the second time in less than a year, thieves targeted vehicles at Portland Adventist Community Services. The vehicles are used to transport food to and from the organization's food pantry.
Director Paul Cole said it happened between Thursday night and Friday morning. The crooks got behind a fence and stole the church's white Ford van.
"They broke out the window on the driver's side to get in, forced a screwdriver into the ignition and got the motor started and drove out through the gate right here," Cole said.
Something similar happened last September. Cole said thieves stole one of the food pantry's trucks.
"It's the economy, it's hard times, it's drugs," speculated Cole.
But what the thieves may not have realized was who they were hurting by their actions. Cole said PACS food pantry feeds about 500 people each day. Both the van and truck were used to transport that food.
"It's not going to change my life today," said Cole. "It hits our bottom line a little bit, but it directly hurts other people in real need."
Police eventually found both the van and the truck, but the suspects were still at large. Anyone with information that could help the investigation was urged to call police.
