Man charged with arson in federal court for fire that heavily damaged KC church
A 38-year-old Kansas City man has been charged with setting the fire at Beyond Thee Four Walls Outreach Ministry earlier this week, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Kansas City.
Prosecutors have charged Christopher A. Durant with one count of arson in the early Wednesday fire that heavily damaged the church’s building at the north side of the road in the 5900 block of East U.S. 40 highway.
Kansas City firefighters responded to the fire about 3:25 a.m. Wednesday and arriving units reported heavy fire inside the one-story building.
Members of the Kansas City Fire Department’s Fire Investigation Unit, the Kansas City Police Department’s Bomb and Arson Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
According to court documents:
Investigators reviewed surveillance video and saw an unknown man approach the building about 12:54 a.m. Wednesday and throw several items, later identified as chunks of asphalt, at the front windows. The man then left the view of the camera.
About four minutes later, the same man returned and lit an unknown object on fire and placed it through the mail slot in the front door. He then lit a piece of paper and placed it through the mail slot. He then lit another object on fire and placed it through the window broken by the asphalt. The man left the area about 1 a.m.
About 1:30 a.m., the man returned and lit paper on fire and placed it through the window. About two minutes later, the man is seen walking up to the front window with an object in his hand and leaning into the window. A large flash is seen on the video tape.
A police dog detected a flammable liquid in the area on the floor inside the church under the broken window. Fire investigators concluded that the fire had been intentionally set.
On Thursday, ATF agents spotted Durant walking near 31st Street and Van Brunt Boulevard. He matched the description of the man in the church video surveillance footage.
Durant was arrested and while being questioned he allegedly said that he was in the area of the church on the morning of the fire. He allegedly also told investigators, “It wasn’t a hate crime.”
