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ST. LOUIS (KTVI) - A St. Louis history museum has turned into a furnace after thieves ripped off the building’s air-conditioners. Lois Conley is the founder of the Griot Museum of Black History. Conley said, “It makes me mad, it make me sad, makes me sorry, makes me regretful that we’re still treating each other this way.”

The museum opened about 20 years ago and now for the fifth time in four years thieves have stolen two of the museum’s air-conditioners for the copper. They left a third air conditioner broken.

Conley says the museum tells the collective history of African-Americans in St. Louis.

The museum includes several wax figures. It was 91 degrees early Wednesday evening inside, the figures are not going to melt, but the heat is not good for them or other historic items on display.

The museum has insurance, but first they’d have to pay a $2,500 deductible. That’s a lot of cash for the not for profit museum. Conley added, “One year I didn’t report it to the insurance for fear they would cancel or raise the premium so high to where I couldn’t afford it and I’m concerned about that even now.”

Conley has poured her heart and soul into the place and she wishes thieves would quit targeting the museum. She said, “When these kind of things occur it just makes it difficult to want to keep going we’re already struggling this makes another set of struggles for us to deal with.”

She’s considering starting a GoFundMe page on the internet. Some people are calling the museum and offering donations. The place keeps the doors open only because of admission prices. It could use a helping hand.

The St. Louis police department is investigating the theft.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS.

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