Suspect arrested in string of St. Louis area church arsons **updated**

[Historic NY]

Last edited Fri Oct 30, 2015, 04:16 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: St. Louis Today.

ST. LOUIS • Police have made an arrest in connection with a two-week string of church arsons, most of which occurred at places of worship in black neighborhoods, the Post-Dispatch has learned. The suspect is a black man in his 30s, according to a police source.

Investigators are expected to seek criminal charges against him today.

The string of fires, many of which did minimal damage, drew attention of local and federal investigators. The locations drew speculation of whether it was a hate crime.

The Rev. Robert Gettinger, of St. Augustine Catholic Church, 1371 Hamilton Avenue, said news of an arrest is a relief.

"We pray for the person who has done this. It seems to be mentally off balance behavior," Gettinger said.




Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_98672cca-39ad-54d9-9ab5-67905b4ff4ad.html#.VjOW3l8j9hU.twitter

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Hopefully this is the end of the fires.



ST. LOUIS • David Lopez Jackson, 35, was charged Friday afternoon in connection with a string of seven church fires this month and attempting to burn a family member's home Thursday in Jennings.

There was no visible damage to the relative's home along the 5300 block of Wilborn on Friday. Police responded to a call for an attempted arson there shortly after 4 p.m. Thursday.

The Jennings address, which is listed as Jackson's home in some court records and where he was arrested, is in the the area of the first six fires, only about two blocks from the closest. Friday's charges, two counts of second-degree arson, list his address as in the 200 block of Presley Road in the Glasgow Village area of unincorporated St. Louis County

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/suspect-charged-in-connection-with-string-of-st-louis-area/article_98672cca-39ad-54d9-9ab5-67905b4ff4ad.html

[C Moon]

1. Great news!

[Throd]

2. I hope they indeed arrested the right person.

[840high]

3. Good news.

[Dale Scott]

4. Damage to the churches appears to be minimal

Damage to the struggle will be incalculable.

[jwirr]

5. I'm afraid so.

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. Wow ... They arrested a Black man?!? ...

While I do not recommend reading the comments after the article ... I will point to one. A poster, who apparently was in a running dialogue where he/she indicated that it was reasonable to suspect that the arsonist was likely a white racist. Another poster indicated that he/she suspected it was a Black person because the arsonist "could move freely in a Black community without drawing suspicion."

I wonder if that poster was projecting. I have lived in all (majority) Black communities, most of my life. To see a white person in the community rarely drew suspicion, or even a second look, unless he/she was doing something of note.

[yardwork]

8. What if they were hanging around churches, though?

Arsonists who are in it for kicks do tend to choose their own neighborhoods in which to set the fires. It's a mental illness. They enjoy all the commotion and drama. Makes them feel important. They often even "help" put out the fires.

[Throd]

10. Setting shit on fire would be "something of note".

As a white guy, I think I can go a lot further as an arsonist in a white neighborhood than a black one.

[1StrongBlackMan]

11. Yes ... But a white person in a Black community is a non-issue ...

no one would take particular notice, because it is NOT an unusual occurrence. IOWs, most Black people would not assume a white person in a Black community to be "out of place", because it is so common.

[Throd]

12. I used to get a lot of sideways glances in North Long Beach.

I would get stopped by the police because they assumed I was there to buy drugs. One was even honest enough to say so.

(I was a delivery driver).

[7962]

13. I was asked if i was a cop "because white folks dont come to this store"

And it has happened more than once. My job at the time had me servicing equipment in stores in all neighborhoods. At least 1/2 a dozen times I was questioned in some way as to why I was there because I was white. The time I was asked about being cop, I hadnt even gotten out of the car fully.
Of course YOU dont take notice because you are likely a reasonable & fair person. But others are different.

[Ace Rothstein]

7. The person was probably mentally ill.

We had a guy about a decade ago lighting garbage cans, which in turn caused numerous garages and cars to burn up as well, on fire because the devil told him to do it.

[yeoman6987]

9. Many here thought it was a tea bagger. oops.

Mental illness has been the conclusion with gun massacres and all kinds of things. Most don't like to prejudge. We need to wait and see what becomes of this.

[7962]

14. MANY is right!

[AngryAmish]

15. I guarantee the others were set by Teabaggers

THey are racists.

[EL34x4]

16. I'll bet those threads had dozens of posts.

This one?

*crickets*

[840high]

17. Yes they did.

[melman]

18. Crickets is right

Anything that doesn't fit the preferred narrative is ignored.