A 35-year-old man was arrested for setting numerous fires outside a predominantly Black church in Rhode Island last weekend.
Kevin Colantonio of North Providence was charged with maliciously damaging or destroying any building or other real property by means of fire or explosion, the US Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday.
Colantonio is accused of committing the act early Sunday, Feb. 11, outside of Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries located at 974 Charles Street. The local police and fire department responded to a call about someone starting the fire just after 12 a.m.
According to an affidavit, two officers at the location extinguished the five flames before members of the North Providence Fire Department arrived. When the fire crew got to the scene, they learned that there were no people inside the church, which has a majority of Black congregants.
A witness told authorities that she noticed a man with a gasoline can walking by the building, the affidavit said. A second witness, an employee at a nearby gas station, confirmed that a man purchased $10 worth of gas and a pocket lighter shortly before the incident. Police reviewed security footage and saw a white male buying the items, pumping the gas, and leaving the area.
On the night of Feb.10, at around 10 p.m., Pastor E.P. called the police after noticing an unidentified masked man attempting to break into the building via the doorbell camera. At one point, the pastor claimed the man broke the surveillance device. Police were able to obtain the camera as well as a black glove.
The police were able to track Colantonio by piecing together evidence from footage from the gas station and near the church, along with additional witness statements.
“By means of video surveillance, financial records, and other means, federal state and local law enforcement were able to identify a suspect, who was observed purchasing gasoline and a BIC lighter at the gas station, approximately twelve minutes before the first reports of fire at the Shiloh Temple,” U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha said at a press conference.
The affidavit suggests that Colantonio’s alleged actions left significant property damage. Following his arrest, law enforcement searched his home and discovered notebooks with phrases including “hunt them down, gun everyone down who isn’t white,” and “burn churches to the ground.”
“To the clergy and the parishioners of the Shiloh Gospel Temple, let me say this: I cannot imagine how you must feel at this profound violation of what is, and is meant to be, a place of refuge and a place of worship,” Cunha added.
Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries did not immediately respond to Atlanta Black Star’s request for comment, but church members held a press conference on Friday.
“Together, we aim to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to justice and unity in the face of adversity,” the church said in a statement before the event, according to WPRI.
