State police investigate break-in at Hartleton Mennonite Church, School

Pennsylvania State Police are investigating an overnight break-in at Hartleton Mennonite Church and School in Hartley Township, where someone forced entry through multiple doors and a shattered window, then stole about $280 in property.

The burglary happened between 5:30 p.m. on April 10, 2025, and 8 a.m. on April 11 at 418 Laurel Road, a rural Union County property that serves both worship and school functions. Police said the stolen items included a fluorescent light valued at $140, a Bluetooth speaker valued at $100 and a Longhorn replica display valued at $40.

Investigators also reported damage to the front door handle, the side door and a side basement window. The break-in left visible damage at a place that is central to a small faith community and to the students who attend the school there.

Hartleton Mennonite School serves about 41 students in grades 1 through 9, according to private school listings, making the property far more than a church building alone. In Hartley Township, where residents live in a largely rural setting, the crime adds to worries about how vulnerable small churches and school buildings can be when they sit off the main roads and are often empty overnight.

Hartleton Mennonite Church is listed as having been founded in 1977 and is affiliated with the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church. The church and school sit along Laurel Road near Millmont, in an area with deep local roots. Hartley Township was settled in 1770 and incorporated in 1811, and the break-in now joins a growing list of property crimes that rural communities watch closely because even modest thefts can bring costly repairs and uncertainty.

State Police are asking anyone with information to contact PSP Milton at 570-524-2662. For a church and school that share one property, the damage is already measured not only in stolen items, but in repair bills, disrupted routines and the loss of a sense of security at a place built for children, families and worship.