A suspect was charged with burning down a historic Roman Catholic mission in Southern California last summer, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Mission San Gabriel was being renovated for its upcoming 250th anniversary when a fire broke out on July 11, damaging the roof and interior of the church.
The fire attracted more than 85 firefighters, 12 engine companies, 5 trucking companies, 4 rescue ambulances and 5 battalion chiefs, according to the San Gabriel Fire Department. Crews were able to stop the fire before it reached the altar, the museum and the adjacent rectory, the department said.
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The interior of Mission San Gabriel was damaged after a morning fire on Saturday, July 11, 2020, in San Gabriel, California (Associated Press).
John David Corey, 57, also known as Joker, is charged with “starting the fire that spread … to the ceiling and throughout the church,” the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said Tuesday in a statement. release.
“The loss to the mission was in the millions of dollars, but the loss to the community is immeasurable,” said District Attorney George Gascón.
Corey, described as from the San Gabriel Valley region, was originally arrested and sentenced to three years behind bars for another San Gabriel arson case that occurred after the mission fire, according to a statement from the California Fire Department. Saint Gabriel.
“It was during this separate incident that investigators viewed Mr. Corey as a person of interest in the Mission San Gabriel case,” the SGFD statement added. “After a thorough investigation, investigators determined that Corey was responsible for the fire at Mission San Gabriel.”
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Corey faces multiple charges, including two felonies of arson of an inhabited structure, first degree residential burglary and possession of flammable material.
It was not immediately clear if he has an attorney.
The church, located about 10 miles northeast of Los Angeles, was the fourth in a series of missions in California that Father Junípero Serra founded during the era of Spanish colonization. While Serra is credited by many for spreading Roman Catholicism along the West Coast, it has long been a symbol of oppression among indigenous activists.
Activists in California tore down Serra’s statues during racial injustice protests last summer.
The public outcry against Serra last year was part of the investigation into the fire. However, officials did not immediately announce any connections.
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The church building will resume interior services on May 22, according to its website.
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