OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) – A man faces multiple charges, including burglary and arson, after breaking into and attempting to set fire to a church in Ogden.
According to a statement on the likely cause on March 18 at around 8:24 p.m., officials responded to a report of a disturbance in the 3000 Wall Ave area.
A witness told police that the suspect, identified as 23-year-old Caleb Papaa Stanley, broke into the church through a window in the women’s bathroom.
Once inside, police say Stanley destroyed the church, sprayed the word “God” on the floor and sprayed the letter S on the west side of the sanctuary.
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“There was a big black dot with the spray can under the word
the center of the point. Just below the point, a side figure eight was sprayed with the same black paint. The spray paint still felt wet, ”shares the explanation of the likely cause.
Officials say Stanley then drew a five-pointed star inside a circle on the floor and draped gold silk over the symbol and “covered it with liquid.”
According to arrest documents, there was an open Bible next to the symbol.
“The middle pages of the Bible had been torn out and burned. Charred fragments of the Bible were scattered on the floor and led into the nave, ”officials said.
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Officers say Stanley managed to pour a “water-based thinner” over most of the church.
“The Bible was soaked in this clear liquid,” officials add. “There were also several doors covered in the water-based thinner … Caleb said he soaked the doors to make the area safer.”
According to documents arrested, Stanley intended “to create a larger fire by dipping Bibles in the clear liquid and then igniting them.”
When officials began questioning Stanley about the actions he claimed “originally entered church to feel safe, but then felt uncomfortable after a while.”
Officers add, “Caleb said he committed the various crimes to get things right.”
On March 18, Caleb Papaa Stanley was taken to Weber County Jail and booked for burglary, criminal mischief, theft and arson.
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“Because of the burning of the Bibles, the use of pagan symbols, and the knowledge of Caleb that it would cause
For fear of those who try to worship in church, the arson offense has been expanded into a Class A crime, ”a statement on the likely cause said.
This is based on preliminary information from the arrest of documents and is subject to change as further investigations reveal more details.
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