Tag: arson

Alleged Hate Crime Victim in Texas Charged with Burning Down His Own House

A Texas man who claimed his house was sprayed with racist graffiti is now facing charges of burning down his own home. Two men, including a family member, reportedly died in the fire, and another person was seriously injured.

A San Jacinto County grand jury returned a true bill indictment against Waterwood resident Mario Roberson, Sheriff Greg Capers told Breitbart Texas on Tuesday. The grand jury charged Roberson with Felony Arson after an investigation by the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office into a June 10 fire that left two people dead and another seriously injured.

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers told Breitbart Texas that a warrant for Roberson’s arrest has not yet been issued. “We can’t do anything until we have a warrant for his arrest,” Capers explained. “The best thing Roberson can do would be to turn himself in.”

Roberson claimed earlier this year that his home was sprayed with graffiti that included racial slurs, KTRK ABC 13 reported.

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Texas Synagogue Arsonist Who Confessed to Crime in His Journal Sentenced For Hate Crime Charges

A Texas man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $470,000 in restitution for a hate crime and arson in which he set fire to the Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 31, 2021.

Franklin Sechriest, 19, of San Marcos, pleaded guilty to a hate crime and arson charges on April 7. Sechriest admitted that he targeted the synagogue because of his hatred of Jews, and journals recovered from the defendant were replete with virulent antisemitic statements and views. Sechriest also possessed several decals and stickers expressing antisemitic messages.

“This defendant is being held accountable for this depraved, antisemitic attack on Congregation Beth Israel, a community with a rich history and heritage that dates back to 1876,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This hate-filled act of violence against a house of worship was an attempt to sow fear in the Jewish community and was intended to intimidate its congregants. Attacks targeting Jewish people and arsons aimed at desecrating synagogues have no place in our society today, and the Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute antisemitic violence.”

“No one should have to fear that their daily lives will be inflicted by hate-fueled violence, or that their place of worship and community could become a target of hate,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “We stand firmly committed to those impacted by this arson, and my office will continue to combat criminal acts of hate while seeking justice for the victims.”

“Hate crimes have the power to devastate and terrorize entire communities. To target a place of worship, a space meant to be a sanctuary in every sense of the word, is one of the most heinous acts that can be committed,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “We remain dedicated to investigating hate crimes and will continue to work relentlessly to hold responsible those who would commit violent acts based on hate.”

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Odd Colorado Ruling Upholds Internet Keyword Search Warrant

What would your internet searches reveal about you if others could scrutinize and second-guess them? It’s something to think about, given that the big search engines, like Google, store search histories and make them available to the authorities. In fact, as happened in a recently decided Colorado case, police can start from search terms of interest and pressure tech companies to surrender the identities of anyone who has surfed for specified keywords. The decision is chilling for anybody who has ever pondered their online history in the hands of a stranger—or who just cares about privacy.

“Today, the Colorado Supreme Court became the first state supreme court in the country to address the constitutionality of a keyword warrant—a digital dragnet tool that allows law enforcement to identify everyone who searched the internet for a specific term or phrase,” Jennifer Lynch and Andrew Crocker of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) reported on Monday. “The case is People v. Seymour, which involved a tragic home arson that killed several people. Police didn’t have a suspect, so they used a keyword warrant to ask Google for identifying information on anyone and everyone who searched for variations on the home’s street address in the two weeks prior to the arson.”

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Maui, Yellowknife, Teneriffe, Rhodes: Who is Behind the Spate of Wildfires Caused by Arson?

The leftist media rushed to blame a series of devastating wildfires on “climate change”. Arson was involved in several cases, however, leading some observers to question the possible motives for the spate of blazes.

Terrrible tragedy struck the city of Lahaina on Maui on Aug. 8, with at least 144 dead and 1000 people still missing, including many children. Speaking on Daily Wire, pundit Michael Knowles said that arson is “the most likely culprit … apparently, in the mind of Hawaiian officials.”

“For years now, people have intentionally set fires all over Maui. As Maui Mayor Michael Victorino noted just last year, fire and police suspect someone is intentionally setting them. Just a couple weeks ago, Hawaiian police responded to two fires on Maui. One started by an unattended cooking fire, the other, apparently, intentionally set. Shortly after which point, according to investigators, quote, a male operating a green all-terrain vehicle was seen leaving the area.”

Last week, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated they had “charged four female youths with arson” after major wildfires around Yellowknife, Northwest Territory, Canada.

“Around 10:03 p.m., RCMP officers on patrol spotted a fire near Long Lake and called the Yellowknife Fire Department. The cause of the fire has been determined to be arson. A witness in the area reported seeing two men running from the area wearing black clothing. The Northwest Territories Police Dog Service attended in an effort to track the suspects but they were not located. No further description of the men could be provided and this matter remains under investigation. 

 At 11:21 p.m., the Yellowknife RCMP received a call reporting that four females were attempting to light a fire in a small green space on Burwash Drive. RCMP officers immediately attended the area and located the four youth females. RCMP arrested all four and found aerosol cans and lighters in their possession and near the scene. Video of this incident was captured on a nearby camera at a private residence. All four of the female youths have been charged with arson.”

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Majority in fires in Greece were started by ‘human hand’, official says

The majority of the fires which have ravaged Greece in recent weeks were started by “human hand”, one of the country’s top climate officials has said.

Greece’s climate change minister said 667 fires had erupted, as wildfires scorched hundreds of square miles of land outside Athens, on the island of Rhodes, and elsewhere this month.

Vassilis Kikilias told a news conference the vast majority of fires “were caused by human hands” and said they were “arsons either by criminal negligence or by intention”.

It comes as at least nine countries across the Mediterranean have been hit by wildfires, as extreme heat hitting the region has seen temperatures top 40C.

However, officials have also highlighted the role of climate change in the recent extreme heat across many European countries.

Mr Kikilias warned earlier that the climate crisis “brought us this unprecedented heatwave”.

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Despite Multiple Arson Arrests, MSM Continues to Blame Canada Wildfires on ‘Climate Change’

Despite the arrest of multiple arsonists, the mainstream media in Canada seems intent on attributing the nation’s recent wildfires to “climate change.”

As wildfires continue to spread across western, and now central and eastern Canada, burning forestland and homes, the mainstream media continues to imply that climate change is the main culprit, despite a growing number of reports showing that arsonists have been arrested for allegedly setting dozens of fires.

“Several arsonists have been arrested in the past weeks in different provinces for lighting forest fires,” People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier tweeted. “But the lying woke media and politicians keep repeating that global warming is the cause.” 

The severe nature of the wildfires has caused Canadians to wonder why they have spread so rapidly, especially as many of the affected areas are not typically impacted by wildfires of this degree or at this time of the year.

In the past months, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have arrested several arsonists who have been charged with lighting fires across several provinces including Nova Scotia, Yukon, British Columbia, and Alberta. The motive behind lighting the fires is unclear.  

One Albertan, John Cook, has been arrested and charged with 10 counts of arson after setting a string of wildfires in and around Cold Lake, a hamlet near Edmonton. 

In addition to damaging vehicles and structures, Cook was charged with setting aflame the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Cherry Grove, Alberta. 

A Vancouver man charged with arson has been released until his trial on October 9, with Cpl. Michael Gauthier asserting that he is not a risk to light further fires.

“This incident was not random in nature and we do not believe there is risk to other members of the public or businesses from the individual who was arrested,” Gauthier stated.

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As Folks Rot in Cages for Weed, Cop Gets No Jail for Setting Home on Fire, Killing Two Dogs Inside

In a world where people are rotting in cages for possessing a plant, is it really that surprising to see a former Indiana State Police trooper walk free after admitting to heinous crimes such as arson, animal cruelty, and insurance fraud? Well, that’s exactly what happened, and this glaring discrepancy in the justice system highlights the deep-rooted corruption, double standards, and “blue privilege” that plague our society.

Jeremy Galloway, the ex-ISP trooper, was sentenced to four years on Thursday. However, he won’t be spending a single day behind bars, according to court records. Instead, Galloway will serve the first two years of his sentence on electronic home monitoring, the third year on reporting probation, and the fourth year on non-reporting probation. This lenient punishment comes as a result of Galloway pleading guilty to all charges as part of a plea agreement.

In October 2019, Galloway maliciously set fire to his Tell City home, killing his dogs in the process. Despite the severity of his crimes, Galloway was only placed on administrative leave without pay during the investigation, before ultimately resigning from his position as an ISP trooper. This slap on the wrist is a stark contrast to the draconian penalties faced by individuals who are caught with a mere plant.

The irony of this situation is unmistakable. While Galloway avoids prison for causing destruction and death, countless individuals who have never harmed a soul are languishing in cages for simply possessing or using cannabis. These people are not arsonists, they’re not cruel to animals, and they’re not committing fraud – yet their lives have been upended by a deeply flawed and outdated legal system that seems to protect its own at the expense of justice.

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Transsexual admits to burning down 118-year-old Christian church in Portland

A 27-year-old transsexual has reportedly admitted to burning down a historic Korean church in Portland, Oregon, underscoring how he wanted to “take credit” for this act of apparent anti-Christian hatred.

What are the details?

The 118-year-old, 3,000-square-foot Portland Korean Church at Southwest 10th and Southwest Clay Street, formerly the First German Evangelical Church, was set ablaze around 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 3.

In response to multiple reports indicating that the structure was fast becoming an inferno, 12 fire engines, six ladder trucks, four battalion chiefs, and 75 Portland Fire and Rescue Personnel arrived on the scene.

Portland Fire and Rescue indicated that the church was not occupied when the three-alarm fire broke out.

According to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office, by 5:40 p.m., the south side of the church had partially collapsed along with the roof. The fire had also spread to a neighboring home, which was evacuated.

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Historically black Mississippi churches set aflame on Election Day. Democrat candidate calls it ‘terrorism’ to ‘suppress our right to vote’ — then suspect is arrested.

Two historically black churches in Jackson, Mississippi, were deliberately set on fire early Tuesday morning — Election Day — authorities told USA Today.

There were five additional suspected arson cases in the city — and all seven occurred in the area of Jackson State University, a historically black public university, the paper said.

‘We will not allow domestic terrorists to suppress our right to vote’

Mississippi Democrat congressional candidate Shuwaski Young released a statement early Tuesday morning calling the fires acts of “terrorism,” USA Today reported.

“This morning several churches were burned in Jackson, Mississippi on Election Day,” the statement reads. “These cowardly actions invoke historical acts of terrorism when people are fighting for their right to vote and live peacefully as Americans and Mississippians. We will not be deterred and will not be intimidated. We will not allow domestic terrorists to suppress our right to vote. I ask all Mississippians to GO VOTE regardless of this decades-old intimidation tactic to suppress our votes today. Just go VOTE.”

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Man Told Officers He Set Satanic Temple on Fire as ‘Hate Crime

A fire was set at the Satanic Temple in Salem, Massachusetts, late Friday night, and a man from Chelsea was arrested on charges including arson, police said.

The suspected arsonist described his own actions as a “hate crime,” according to the Salem Police Department.

Daniel Damien Lucey, 42, was arrested at the scene of the fire, Salem police confirmed Saturday. Lucey faces multiple charges in connection with the fire at the Satanic Temple on Bridge Street.

Several people called 911 about the fire around 10 p.m. Friday. Police found the front porch up in flames when they arrived and tried to put it out with fire extinguishers, but were unsuccessful.

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