Belleville man charged in connection with Kirkwood church fire

A Belleville man is charged with burglary and arson after a fire was set inside Olive Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Kirkwood, Missouri, authorities said.

Cole Mezyk, 25, was charged with second-degree burglary and knowingly burning or exploding, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said in a release.

Kirkwood firefighters and police responded about 7:33 p.m. April 3 to a report of a fire at the church at 311 S. Harrison Ave. Inside, crews found a pew that had been set on fire and a lit candle on the ground nearby, according to a release from the Kirkwood Police Department.

Investigators reviewed security footage from nearby homes and identified Mezyk as the suspect, authorities said.

Mezyk was taken into custody April 25 by Kirkwood police. During an interview, he admitted entering the church and lighting a candle April 3, police said. Photos recovered from his phone also placed him at the scene at the time of the incident, authorities said.

Mezyk is being held at the St. Louis County Justice Center on a $55,000 cash-only bond.