Police in Brooklyn Park say officers caught a man leaving a church he tried to burn down on Thursday night.
According to Inspector Elliott Faust, it happened just before 11:00 p.m. at the Salvation Army Worship Center on Noble Parkway. Officers responded when a burglar alarm went off, and when they saw smoke and flames, they called in firefighters. The fire was mostly contained within the sanctuary, and investigators found evidence at the scene that it was intentionally set. Upon examining security camera footage, officers were able to locate a man on the scene who matched footage of someone breaking in.
They arrested him and took him to jail, where he faces charges of 2nd degree burglary and 2nd degree arson.
The investigation continues.
The damage was limited to a small area of the sanctuary, according to Inspector Faust.
