DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A BROOKLYN MAN was charged with arson that severely damaged a historic church in Bushwick.
A criminal complaint unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday, charges 24-year-old John Jones with intentionally setting fire to the South Bushwick Reformed Church, 855 Bushwick Ave., on June 19. Jones, who was arrested earlier on Wednesday, will make his initial appearance at a later date in the Eastern District of New York. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
Surveillance video captured early afternoon on June 19 showed Jones attempting to enter the church. He then walked to a convenience store, purchased a lighter, returned to the church and walked around the church property. Later, a witness’ camera picked up a low-burning fire and smoke on the church’s perimeter. The fire quickly spread, causing significant damage to the sanctuary and the steeple’s collapse.
Constructed in the 1850s, the South Bushwick Reformed Church was designated as a New York City Landmark in 1968 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The Brooklyn Eagle on July 16 reported that fire officials had not ruled out arson as the cause of fire, the same day that court documents were signed.
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