Three people drove off with a three-ton Goodman air conditioner from a local church Friday afternoon, but an observant member helped lead to arrests and recovery of the property.

Sheriff Russell Thomas said deputies received a call Friday afternoon about a theft at Whitewater Church on County Road 3319 in Troy.

“We had a church member who observed a vehicle leaving the property,” Thomas said. “From there we were able to develop the identity of these individuals and charge them.”

Thanks to the tip, Thomas said deputies were able to track down the vehicle a short itme later with the air conditioning unit still inside.

Mia F. Walker, 20; Kenya Demond Flowers, 28; and a juvenile, all of Troy, were arrested and charged with first-degree theft of property and first-degree criminal mischief.

Thomas said the theft charge stems from the stolen air conditioner and the criminal mischief charge is based on the damage of another unit, which Thomas said deputies found parts of in the car.

“It was taken apart and just about completely destroyed,” Thomas said. “They’re probably both a loss.”

One unit was valued at $2,500 and the other was valued at $3,500.

First-degree theft of property is a Class B Felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and first-degree criminal mischief is a Class C Felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Flowers and Walker were both booked into the Pike County Jail.