A church that had been broken into six times in the past year was broken into a seventh time the day the Renton Reporter printed a story about it.

This time the villain was caught on camera.

“Our prayer is that he’ll find the Lord, or that he’ll get found,” Don Burnett, pastor of Evergreen Community Church east of the Renton Highlands.

The church was still testing the new equipment when the man came back again, he said.

This time the thief boosted two of the church speakers, used for worship services, and a leather jacket left by someone on staff.

“He’s kind of found a cash cow,” Burnett said.

The thief entered the church using a high-powered BB gun to break a window at about 9 a.m., Oct. 15.

The fact that he was armed causes the church some safety concern, Burnett said.

The King County Sheriff’s office plans to install a special alarm that alerts an on-duty deputy of break-ins.

“We’re getting a lot of attention, and people are sitting up and taking notice,” Burnett said.

The church had installed a key-only deadbolt on a door leading out of the sanctuary, where most of the valuables are kept.

“I’m not sure what he would have done if the doors had been unsecured,” Burnett said. “It might have been he’d empty the room again like he did before.”

The church now plans to install lock-only deadbolts on the doors leading into the sanctuary.

“The next time he gains entry, he’s basically not going to find a door out,” he said.

The church also sealed up a half wall to the sound booth with a window. The villain was seen peering into the room twice, taking mental note of the items inside.

He’s doing more reconnaissance, Burnett said.

He suspects the man caught on video was also responsible for several other break-ins, because of a similar method of operation.

The video showed a white male with blue eyes in his 20s, about 5-foot-11 and about 220 pounds. He covered his mouth and nose in the video, but at one point a beard was visible.

Since the burglaries, local neighbors are starting to be more active in the block watch group. One reported someone picked up the man in a white truck.

The church too is learning to engage its community better, Burnett said. “They’re really discovering that part about overcoming evil with good.”