NATCHEZ —Thieves managed to make enemies of the government and God all in one stroke, though it took two trucks and a trailer to do it.

The thieves stole a 60-kilowatt generator from Community Chapel Church of God in Morgantown May 21.

The $20,400 generator, purchased by Adams County with a grant in 2009, was meant to power the Red Cross shelter at Community Chapel.

Natchez Police on Monday afternoon arrested two suspects in the theft.

Larry E. Smith, 25, of 205 Oakland Drive, Natchez, and Ray A. Gibson, 40, of 402 College St., Natchez, were arrested and charged with the theft, said NPD Det. Jerry Ford.

“The church had surveillance video. One of the detectives looked at the video and noticed one of the guys on it. We were able to bring him in and he started telling us what went down,” Ford said.

Police have not recovered the generator.

Ford asked that anyone with information about the whereabouts of the generator to call Crimestoppers at 601-442-5000.

Adams County Emergency Management Director Robert Bradford said the generator was chained down but the thieves used a large truck to pull the pole out.

“It was a sad thing,” Bradford said. “I am going to try to do some mitigation on the rest of (the generators at other shelters), take the wheels off so they can’t be moved.”

Natchez Police Department Detective Jerry Ford said it took two trucks to accomplish the theft of the generator.

“(The suspects) came in a pickup truck and pulled the generator away from the church,” he said. “Apparently that truck got stuck, so they stopped, got unhooked from (the generator), got another truck and trailer and loaded the generator on the trailer and hauled it away from the church.”

The Adams County Board of Supervisors gave Bradford permission Monday to file an insurance claim in response to the theft of the generators.