A north Harris County pastor says forgiveness is guiding him through heartbreak after thieves broke into his church offices three times in just two weeks, stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment and leaving his ministry scrambling to rebuild.
Pastor Juan Martinez, founder of Get Wrapped Church on Cypress Station Drive, says this isn’t just about the lost equipment; it’s about the mission.
Before becoming a pastor, Martinez spent 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
Today, he leads a ministry focused on reaching incarcerated people, helping those battling addiction, and providing support to women working in the sex industry.
“We created a show called Real People, Real Problems, Real Solutions, where we talk about difficult topics to people behind bars,” Martinez told KPRC 2. “But not just physical bars, the bars they’ve placed on their hearts and their thinking.”
The heart of that outreach is the church’s podcast, This Is Real, which Martinez says has reached millions across Texas and beyond. But that work was hit hard this month.
The thefts
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the church’s separate office building was targeted three times in recent weeks. Deputies say the most recent burglary happened early Sunday morning, when a young Black male suspect with dreads, wearing a dark gray shirt and green shorts, used a rock to smash a window and get inside.
Martinez and another church member arrived around 7:15 a.m. and heard the suspect still inside.
Deputies say the man claimed to be a maintenance worker before jumping out the window and running away.
Deputies later followed a trail into the woods behind the building and recovered most of the stolen items, including laptops, Mac Studio computers, and Panasonic Lumix cameras, but much of the equipment was damaged or destroyed. One Lumix camera remains missing.
“They took pretty much everything we need to do what we do,” Martinez said. “But they didn’t steal our joy — because they didn’t give us that. Only Jesus can take that.”
The bigger setback
Martinez says the break-ins are more than just a financial loss.
“They pretty much came in and ransacked a couple of different places,” he said. “They took all of our podcast stuff, which is making it difficult because a lot of the programs and the things we use to get into the prisons, we don’t have anymore.”
Martinez says the team has been scrambling, setting up makeshift workstations just to keep some outreach running.
“Right now we’re trying to figure out how to do what we need to do in a day’s time,” he said. “We’d love to have a place we can set up and not have to tear it down every time, but right now, I just don’t know where that’s going to be.”
Despite the stress, Martinez says his faith and his mission remain clear.
“I know I need to forgive because I’ve been forgiven,” he said. “Without Jesus, we’re all messed up. Maybe not in the same way, but I’m that man without my Lord and Savior.”
Preventing future thefts
As the investigation continues, law enforcement experts say churches, small businesses, and nonprofits should take proactive steps to help prevent crimes like this.
Sgt. Eric Pino with the Sugar Land Police Department says common recommendations include reinforcing entry points like windows and doors, installing surveillance cameras, improving lighting around the property, and building relationships with neighboring businesses or churches to increase visibility and shared monitoring.
“Locks and alarms are important, but so is community,” Pino said. “When groups look out for each other, it makes it much harder for criminals to operate undetected.”
What’s next
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office says anyone with information about the suspect should contact their office. Martinez, meanwhile, says he’s praying not just for recovery, but for the person who broke in.
“If you get incarcerated, write me a letter,” he said. “I’ll write you back.”
