WHITMAN COUNTY, Wash. — A man was arrested on Monday after he allegedly threatened to burn down a a Baptist church in Rosalia, according to Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers.
A witness told authorities that the suspect said he was going to burn down the Community Baptist Church and was acting aggressive and irrational, Myers said in a Facebook post. The witness also said they watched the man pour gasoline onto a door and porch connected to the building.
Myers said deputies found the suspect, later identified as 45-year-old Samuel Owens, at the church trying to force entry into one of the exterior doors. He was taken into custody without incident.
Owens was booked into the Whitman County Jail on charges of attempted first-degree arson, criminal trespass and malicious mischief, Myers said. His first court appearance is scheduled on Tuesday afternoon.
