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Stockton church makes sure to pray at every homicide scene

Church members have been heading out to homicide scenes for five years now. They have done it more than 250 times.

STOCKTON, Calif. — As Stockton Police investigate another homicide in the city, members of the Crosstown Community Church have been on the scene for each one of them.

"We just confess the sin of our people to God and we ask him to break the curse over the place," said Kevin White, pastor of the Stockton Crosstown Community Church.

Church members have been heading out to homicide scenes for five years now. They have done it more than 250 times.

White is not only a pastor but also a chaplain with the Stockton Police Department. He calls his homicide prayer group "CSI" for "Crime Scene Intercessors."

RELATED: All of the Stockton homicides so far in 2019

Every Thursday, the group goes to the most recent Stockton homicide location. This latest homicide at Navy Drive and South Pershing Avenue in an industrial area near I-5 and Charter Way happened Wednesday night.

"We also have the hope that God can take anything ugly and make something out of it. Often, we have no idea how we might do that, but we trust that it can," said White.

Rose Kaufmann is a long-time member of the "CSI" prayer team.

"There was one about a child, a baby that was left in a dumpster and that one was really difficult for me," Kaufmann said.

RELATED: Man arrested for August stabbing death of Stockton woman

Brian Howes is the church administrator and also goes out to pray at deadly crime scenes.

"We actually have opportunities sometimes to meet with families and friends of the victim, for instance, and we get to pray with them and make a difference with them and then some of them actually end up at our church," said Howes.

"CSI" members say they are in this for the long haul. They would rather not be but know they will be in the hopes of making a difference.

"It makes us more in touch with the people," added Kaufmann.

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