A juvenile has been arrested and charged after fires and vandalism at Maryland churches, officials announced Monday.
Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service spokesman Pete Piringer said the matter is being considered in juvenile court, The Washington Post reported. The incidents occurred July 9 and 10 at two churches on Old Georgetown Road in the North Bethesda area, Piringer said.
Security camera video of the fire set July 10 at St. Jane De Chantal Parish shows the reflection of the flames in a window from some torched pews and the white flashes from a special fire alarm system to warn hearing impaired people of danger.
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On the same weekend, two other nearby churches were targeted: an attempted arson at the North Bethesda United Methodist Church and broken tombstones at the Wildwood Baptist Church.
No motive behind the incidents could be learned immediately. There was no ongoing threat to the community, Piringer said.
