The Church of San Ginés was once again the victim of a robbery, the second in a month, after allegedly two citizens of Maghrebi origin entered the building stealing various valuable objects such as the gold crown of the Virgin, a golden mantle, several chalices, candlesticks as well as the key to the tabernacle.
A local resident who was in a bar near the church observed two citizens of Maghrebi origin passing by the street with a shopping cart full of various religious objects at 4:00 in the morning. The Local Police of Arrecife were alerted immediately and arrested the two young men, of legal age, who are now in police custody.
The alleged thieves would have entered through a small window in the church tower, whose bars were forced, as well as forcing three collection boxes that were inside the Sacristy.
"This is the second robbery in a month and we believe they are the same perpetrators. I suppose they wanted to sell it as scrap metal to get some money", declares Miguel Hernández, parish priest of San Ginés, who found the building looted on Friday morning.
A large part of the objects have been recovered, although the whereabouts of some of the chalices and candlesticks are still unknown, which have probably been sold by the alleged perpetrators of the robbery.
