Long Beach police say a Staten Island man ransacked the Chabad of The Beaches Temple last Saturday and stole several religious items, including two torahs.

Police later arrested Hunter McLerath, 23, on the beach in Long Beach. Officials say some of the religious items were recovered, but not the two sacred texts.  They are believed to be somewhere on the beach.

Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin says he instructed lifeguards to walk the beach in search of the torahs. They will be walking from Point Lookout to Atlantic Beach in hopes they turn up.

Rabbi Eli Goodman, who heads up the Chabad of the Beaches Temple, called it a “bizarre situation” and “very disheartening.”

"The torahs are our most precious possession that we have,” he said. “They are our heritage and our legacy."

Mike Romano, the lifeguard manager, says lifeguards often come across all sorts of items, such as wedding bands and iPhones. He said it was the first time his crew was looking for anything like this.

Rabbi Goodman says he is praying the torahs turn up. "Hopefully they find it, God willing."

Anyone with information about the missing texts should contact the temple or town officials.