EAST POINT, Ga. --
Security cameras caught an arsonist setting a church ablaze Monday afternoon.
East Point police say a man wearing a dark denim jacket and camouflage pants torched the Mallalieu United Methodist Church on the 2000 block of Church Street in East Point.
Capt. Russell Popham said the incident happened just before 4 p.m. on Monday. The man first borrowed a gas can from a nearby transmission store and then bought $1 worth of gas from a Shell Station right across the street.
Popham went on to describe how the man torched the church.
"He walks right up in broad daylight to the west side of the sanctuary, broke out a window and started a fire," Popham said.
Workers in the Shell station said the suspect walked around the store so many times they became annoyed with him and asked him to leave.
The man gave no clue as to what may have set him off and the church can't pinpoint a motive, either.
"They didn't know this person, they did not receive any threats," said Popham. Investigators want this man off the street.
"He didn't try to hide his actions so that's making us even more concerned that he is unstable that he could continue to do this or hurt somebody or some other piece of property," said Popham.
Anyone with information is urged to call Georgia Arson Control Hot line at 1-800- 282-5804. Or you can call the East Point police at 404-559-6300.
Copyright 2009 by . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
