Church Fire Probe Finds No Hate Crime

A special unit of investigators formed in Los Angeles after the well-publicized fires at African American churches primarily in the South in the last two years is probing a chapel arson in San Fernando, but so far there is no indication a hate crime was committed, officials said.

The small fire was set sometime Wednesday night in front of a door at Parks Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church at 1102 4th St.

The fire seemed to have extinguished itself and the partly burned door was discovered about 6:30 a.m Thursday by a church member arriving there, said Jim Wells, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The fire was classified as arson, but “there is nothing at this point to indicate that it’s a hate crime of any type,” Wells said.

Investigators found traces of an undetermined flammable liquid, Wells said. No witnesses have come forward and authorities had no suspects.

Friday a construction crew had arrived to repair the damage.

Church authorities said they did not believe the fire was hate-motivated and they wanted mostly to get rid of the smell from the fire in time for Sunday services.

“We don’t have any evidence to indicate anything more than a random act” of vandalism, said the Rev. Jordan Davis, a minister at the church. “We have been in this community over 10 years. We have enjoyed very positive support from neighbors, the community and the city of San Fernando.”

Investigating the case is the House of Worship Task Force, a unit started by the Los Angeles Fire Department that also involves other agencies, including the FBI, Wells said.

“When all the fires were happening [in the South] we decided to form this unit just in case any popped up here,” Wells said.

Business at the church will go on as usual, church officials said.

“It’s certainly not going to stop us,” Davis said. “If they find suspects, maybe we can love them enough that they won’t want to do this kind of thing again.”