Break-in at Fresno Mission construction site could cost $300K

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Mission is facing a major setback after a break-in over the weekend.

The Fresno mission's emergency housing site in central Fresno has been under construction for around six months, and over the weekend, it hit a major bump in the road.

"Everywhere you would look, it looked like the building had been ransacked," Fresno Mission CEO Matthew Dildine explained.

Thieves broke into the construction site-- taking $175,000 to $300,000 worth of copper wiring and pipes along with other essential materials.

"The difficulty is that while they may have cut this section, it goes up to something else, and now the whole thing has to be replaced," Dildine said while pointing out cut piping.

The 4-story building has 73 units to address a critical need in the city. It's expected to house 200 to 400 people when it opens.

The site already has a waitlist of 105 families seeking emergency shelter.

"It's heartbreaking. It's like you're trying to help the most vulnerable people in our community, and there's such evil that exists in the world that are willing to prevent that from happening," Dildine said. "It just boggles our mind."

He was hopeful the site would open in June, but the recent break-in sets the project back by at least a month or two.

Fresno PD is investigating the incident and says copper theft like this has become less common in recent years.

It was once a major issue for the city and other communities - but laws targeting people who steal, sell, or buy stolen copper have aimed to change that.

"Nowadays, it's not very common, so it is at this point believed to be an isolated incident," Fresno Police Sgt. Diana Trueba Vega explained.

Police suggest having extra security on construction sites to lower the risk of theft, which Fresno Mission has done.

No suspects have been identified at this point.

Anyone with information or video around the area is asked to contact crime stoppers or Fresno police.

If you would like to help the mission, donations are accepted here.

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