STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Person In Custody For The St. Landry Church Fires

Several churches with predominantly African-American congregations have been destroyed.

An unidentified person has reportedly been taken into custody in connection with the string of church fires that have happened in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana over the past few weeks.

KATC reports the person is in custody but has not been identified or even named as a suspect at this time. A state fire marshal spokesperson also would not confirmed if the person is under arrest, but told WBRZ that the department hopes to release an update Thursday morning (April 11).

On Monday, the NAACP released a statement condemning the fires is St. Landry Parish, as well as other similar incidents in Tennessee.

“What is happening in Tennessee and Louisiana is domestic terrorism and we must not turn a blind eye to any incident where people are targeted because of the color of their skin or their faith. The spike in church burnings in Southern states is a reflection of the emboldened racial rhetoric and tension spreading across the country. But this is nothing new. For decades, African American churches have served as the epicenter of survival and a symbol of hope for many in the African-American community. As a consequence, these houses of faith have historically been the targets of violence. The NAACP stands vigilant to ensure that authorities conduct full investigations," the statement read.

From the jump, fire investigators believe the blazes that destroyed Mount Pleasant Baptist Church and two others in the St. Landry Parish area were the result of arson. The first fire happened on March 26 in Port Barre while another church went ablaze in Opelousas earlier this week.

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