Police looking for man in connection with fire at Belleville church
Belleville police say have identified a person who is possibly connected to a “suspicious” early-morning fire at New Gate Church in Belleville on Tuesday.
The Belleville Police Department said Wednesday its detectives are looking for an adult black male with a beard last seen wearing a tan coat and blue hat.
According to police, the man had been in the Bellevue Park Plaza area for several hours before the fire started at the church around 7:30 a.m.
It was a 10-year-old boy who spotted the fire from the window of his mother’s car and alerted her to call 911. A Belleville police officer used a fire extinguisher from her patrol vehicle to put out the fire, which was inside the church’s glass front doors, which had been broken.
According to Belleville Fire Chief Tom Pour, though there was no structural damage to the church, there was “lots of smoke damage.” The fire is forcing the church’s pastors, Carolyn and Precious Ewuzie, to delay their first services, which were scheduled for this Sunday, pending inspection by the city on Thursday.
In a release, Belleville police said that there was no evidence anything was thrown into the church to start the fire.
The investigation is being conducted by Belleville police and Fire Arson Investigators. Anyone with information related to the case can contact the police department at 618-234-1212.
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 2:11 PM.
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