A 47-year-old man is facing felony aggravated arson charges after allegedly breaking into a church basement near Ohio State University's campus and setting a book bag on fire early Saturday morning. Columbus police took Lawrence Rose into custody after he was discharged from treatment for injuries he sustained during the break-in, and investigators say surveillance footage helped tie him to the scene.
According to WSYX, Rose allegedly broke into St. Stephen's Episcopal Church at 30 West Woodruff Avenue around 7 a.m. on September 5. Investigators said he admitted to breaking out a window with his elbow to get inside, and video surveillance footage showed an individual breaking into the church's west side staircase. The church's back door also appeared to have been broken into, the station reported.
Once inside, investigators said Rose used a torch-style lighter to set fire to a book bag, then threw the burning bag onto a basement chair. The fire damaged a chair, carpet and wall before it was extinguished, but it was self-contained and burned out before Columbus firefighters arrived on scene, the same account notes. The Columbus Division of Fire responded to the structure fire report, and investigators later determined the fire had been intentionally set.
Suspect Was Treated for Self-Inflicted Wounds
Court documents indicate Rose was treated for self-inflicted wounds at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center following the incident. Columbus police took him into custody after he was discharged and transported him to the CFD Fire Investigation Unit office, per the station's report. He was subsequently charged with felony aggravated arson.
St. Stephen's sits at the corner of North High Street, directly across from OSU's Ramseyer Hall and Arps Garage, at what serves as a primary entrance gateway to the campus's North Residential District, according to The Lantern. The church property has a notable history with the university: in 2013, Ohio State paid St. Stephen's $12.8 million to withdraw plans for a nine-story student housing complex known as “The Lofts at St. Stephen's,” which would have housed more than 250 students on the site.
A Hub for Campus and Community Outreach
Beyond its role at the edge of campus, St. Stephen's has functioned as a social service hub for the surrounding University District. The church houses the University District Organization's outreach clinician office, which operates as a drop-in site three mornings a week connecting unhoused residents with case management, mental health services and essential supplies in partnership with Southeast Healthcare, according to the University District Organization.
The Rev. Karl Stevens serves as rector of the parish, which brings together OSU students, university staff and broader metropolitan Columbus residents, per the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio. The church has operated at its Woodruff Avenue location for more than 80 years and has hosted community education events in the past, including a 2023 “Homelessness 101” forum run by the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio to train local faith leaders and neighbors on supporting unhoused individuals.
What Rose Could Face Under Ohio Law
Under Section 2909.02 of the Ohio Revised Code, aggravated arson causing physical harm to an occupied structure is classified as a second-degree felony punishable by two to eight years in prison and fines up to $15,000, according to the Dominy Law Firm. If the fire created a substantial risk of serious physical harm to individuals, the offense can be elevated to a first-degree felony carrying up to 11 years in prison.
A conviction would also carry consequences beyond prison time. Under Ohio Revised Code Sections 2909.13 through 2909.15, individuals convicted of felony arson or aggravated arson in Ohio must register annually for life with their local county sheriff and pay initial and annual registration fees, a requirement established under the state's arson registry law, per Once Fallen.
The investigation into the fire falls under the jurisdiction of the Columbus Division of Fire's Fire Prevention Bureau and Fire Investigation Unit, which handles cause-and-origin investigations for suspicious and incendiary fires across the city. It remains unclear whether Rose's court appearance date in Franklin County has been set, and details on any bail conditions have not been reported.
