Backpacks stolen from church before back-to-school bash

Richland County deputies are searching for one or multiple suspects who allegedly stole backpacks from the Haskell Heights Progressive Baptist Church Tuesday evening.

An incident report filed with the sheriff’s department said about 45 backpacks, with an estimated value of $675, were stolen from the church. The report also said there was visible evidence of forced entry into the church’s main entrance and one of the windows.

Pastor Charles Epps said he discovered the backpacks were missing when he and other parishioners returned to the church Wednesday afternoon to fill them with school supplies. The backpacks were to be given out to underprivileged students at the church’s back-to-school bash Thursday evening.

Epps said he is currently reviewing footage from a deer cam in hopes of generating leads for the sheriff’s department to follow up on.

If anyone has information regarding the incident, they are urged to call Crimestoppers at 1 (888)-CRIME-SC.