ROCKFORD, Ill. — A 28-year-old man is accused of arson after a fire at a historic abandoned church in Illinois.
Edward Jerome Wash was arrested Friday by the Rockford Police Department and charged with three counts of arson, WIFR reported.
The church, known as the Metro Christian Center Church, was built in 1869, the Rockford Register Star reported. The church was torn down after the blaze because the structure had weakened, the newspaper reported.
Images from Wednesday night's downtown church fire: https://t.co/yXTemkIiBD @scottpyates
— Register Star (@rrstar) September 3, 2020
Heavy clouds of smoke covered downtown as the church was engulfed in flames, WIFR reported.
The building had been condemned for several years and many doors and windows had been boarded up, the television station reported. There was no electricity in the building, according to WIFR.
“It’s huge, it’s unbelievable,” Rockford resident Stacy Valdez told the television station. “When we first pulled up the roof was still there and now it’s gone and that was only 10 minutes ago. Personally I like to take pictures of old buildings and I wanted to get pictures of it but it looks like I won’t be able to.”” said Rockford resident Stacy Valdez.
No bail has been set for Wash, according to online jail records.
Wash is also a person of interest in two other fires set in Rockford on Wednesday, according to authorities. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted Rockford Fire and Rockford Police in the investigation, according to WREX.
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