Feds charge suspect in arson of 19th century Brooklyn church

New York federal prosecutors formally charged a 24-year-old man with intentionally setting fire to a 173-year-old church in Brooklyn in June, according to a Wednesday statement. Officials arrested John Jones earlier on Wednesday after investigators identified the man from surveillance footage taken the day of the fire.

The South Bushwick Reformed Church faced demolition after it suffered severe damage from a fire sparked June 19. A majority of the church’s original 1853 church building was demolished, but the 1881 fellowship hall remained standing, according to previous reporting.

Jones set a church on fire in broad daylight, placing countless Brooklyn residents in danger, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Destruction of a sacred New York landmark will be met with swift justice, she added. New York Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore characterized the crime as an attack on community safety, and slammed the suspect for placing first responders' lives in danger.

How did police identify Jones as a suspect? Investigators initially identified a suspect matching Jones' description on surveillance footage at several areas near the church on the day of the fire. An unsealed affidavit included shots from a local convenience store’s security camera of a man resembling Jones buying a lighter, about an hour before bystanders first called in the church fire. Surveillance footage near the church also appeared to show the same man attempting to enter the church grounds several times.

Police arrested Jones less than two weeks after the fire over a separate property destruction incident. Officials noted the similarities between Jones’ facial features, hairstyle, and mannerisms and the suspect in the footage, according to the affidavit. All suspects remained innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, prosecutors noted. Jones faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted.