DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Southwest Detroit nonprofit is offering a reward for information after thieves stole more than $10,000 worth of equipment, including a brand new lawn mower and bounce houses used for community events.
Congress of Communities is now scrambling to prepare for their annual summer celebration after the theft of items that are essential to their community service mission.
"I couldn't sleep that night," said Maria Salinas, founder of Congress of Communities. "I kept thinking what could I have done better for this not to happen."
The nonprofit is searching for a vehicle whose occupants allegedly jumped out and stole their tent on July 18. The entire incident was captured on a Detroit Police Green Light security camera stationed at the convenience store across the street on Junction near St. Hedwig.
"The audacity of what they did, they literally had to take this giant tent down for a full hour at two in the morning until three in the morning in full plain view of Junction Avenue is just so frustrating," said Amanda Holiday, who works with the organization.
Before volunteers and employees could process the tent theft, thieves struck again.
"They got into our shed, which is right over here, and in our shed, they stole two industrial-sized bouncy houses, a brand new lawn mower that had only been used once," Holiday said.
The lawn mower is used to maintain more than a dozen local properties, while the bounce houses are a staple for the nonprofit's annual summer celebration, which is just days away.
"And normally we would have two giant bouncy houses, one of them has like two double slides that we like put water on them and the kids have so much fun and somebody stole them and we're assuming that it's the same people that stole both although it was maybe a week apart in the theft," Holiday said.
Despite the loss, the celebration will still take place, and the organization is already enhancing security around their building.
"We actually bought some cameras that we're putting right there to look out into the garden because we also have a community garden over here, a vegetable garden," Holiday said.
As a longtime advocate for public safety, Salinas feels this theft was personal.
"But I think for me what I've learned through all this is we have a responsibility to really put this out there in the public and really catch these people, whoever they are, whether they are community people or outside organized," Salinas said.
She's offering a reward to anyone who helps identify those involved.
"It can be anonymous. My thing is, I'll be damned if, you know, being born and raised in Detroit and being an advocate for Detroit, that we allow these things to continue to happen," Salinas said.
Detroit Police say they're actively investigating both thefts.
Anyone looking to help COC replace these valuable items can click here to donate.https://givebutter.com/CoCRobbed
—————————————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
