The search is on for a person of interest believed to be involved in setting two fires at a historic church on Detroit's west side, alongside an additional suspected arson at a nearby Wendy's eatery, as per reports from Detroit authorities. The Detroit News detailed that the fires occurred on March 22 at the former Bushnell Congregational Church, a site with historic significance established in 1926 and, by the 1950s, had become one of the nation's largest congregational churches.
Having received reports of the initial blaze at approximately 8:30 a.m., subsequent footage from a security camera captured a man exiting the area seemingly in the wake of the incident, the suspect donning a grey sweatshirt, dark grey pants, combined with black and white sneakers, and a large black puffy coat, this description shared by ClickOnDetroit, and authorities also noted a smaller fire earlier that day outside the church building itself.
Further complicating this string of events, the same individual is suspected of engaging in additional arson two blocks away, where a dumpster at a Wendy’s fast-food restaurant was set alight around 2 a.m. on the same day. Surveillance placed a man matching the prior description at the scene, according to officials quoted by the Detroit Fire Investigation Division.
Authorities are now reaching out to the community for assistance in identifying the alleged arsonist, with the Detroit Police Department’s Arson Unit urging anyone with information to make contact through various channels such as phone calls to the department at (313) 596-2940, an anonymous tip can be left on the Arson Unit tip line at (313) 628-2900, or through Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) SPEAK-UP; additional methods for tip submission include the website DetroitRewards.tv and emailing [email protected] half-echoing the earlier pleas characterized by ClickOnDetroit.
