Concord police have taken a suspect into questioning in connection with a fire at a local church, the second fire at the property in less than a week.
Early Monday morning, Contra Costa County fire crews battled a blaze at Christ Community Church in Concord, the same church where a fire broke out last Thursday, causing the roof to collapse.
Fire officials said police have taken someone in for questioning. NBC Bay Area reported the suspect is a homeless man who was arrested for suspicion of arson.
It is not yet known if the suspect is connected to the previous fire last week, which was also determined to be caused by human activity. Investigators found evidence that someone had been sleeping under the building.
The property is currently empty as the church is in the process of downsizing and selling.
"It is a vacant building and in the past they have had a few cases where someone has broken into the building just to sleep overnight," said Fire Marshal Chris Bachman. "The night before the fire, the property maintenance person did run a transient off that was hanging around the building."
Pastor Janelle Maher told KCBS Radio before the arrest that she hopes no one was hurt.
"We’ve served a lot of people who are unhoused through our food pantry. We care a lot about them, a lot of them we know their names," she said. "I wouldn’t want it to be someone getting hurt or injured."
The Monday morning fire caused heavy damage to a different building in the church complex.
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