Police have made an arrest in the arson that destroyed the historic South Bushwick Reformed Church in Brooklyn, taking into custody a 24-year-old man identified as John Jones, according to Eyewitness News ABC7NY. The arrest brings a first answer to a case that had left the surrounding community grieving the loss of a longtime landmark. For many who had asked why anyone would set fire to the church, the arrest added another layer of sadness, grief, anger and shock.
Investigators say a man was seen on video buying a lighter and then using it to set the church ablaze on the sunny afternoon of Juneteenth, June 19. The flames burned through the building's old wooden panels and quickly reduced much of the structure to rubble. The fire brought down the steeple of the church, which had stood for roughly 175 years in the neighborhood.
Federal prosecutors have identified the young man accused of setting the fire, according to the report. Jones was arrested overnight after he allegedly stole a sandwich and a soda from a CVS in midtown, and it was then that police saw the outstanding warrant for his arrest in the arson investigation. He is due to appear in Brooklyn federal court as soon as tomorrow.
The arson investigation was conducted by multiple agencies, including the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, known as the ATF, according to Eyewitness News. The involvement of federal authorities reflects the seriousness with which the destruction of the historic house of worship has been treated. Officials have not offered a simple explanation for why the fire was set.
The blaze first broke out in the afternoon of June 19 at the South Bushwick Reformed Church on Bushwick Avenue. It grew rapidly, and one of the most striking moments came when the steeple toppled over as firefighters battled the flames. The rest of the building sustained significant damage, though officials noted the structure was left standing enough that it could retain its landmark designation because it was not entirely gone.
The church had been a fixture of the neighborhood for generations, and its loss was described as deeply devastating for the community around it. Residents recalled a time before the area's recent construction boom, when, as one put it, nobody wanted to be in Bushwick. In the wake of the fire, rebuilding the church became a priority, with fundraisers organized to try to bring it back.
Community members said they hoped newer, more affluent residents who could afford to live in the changing neighborhood would donate and become part of the effort. They spoke of faith, resiliency and unity as the values that would carry the rebuilding forward. Even with a suspect now in custody, they said, the question of why this happened may never have a simple answer, but the work of restoring the church and supporting the community would continue.