Federal prosecutors announced on Wednesday that 21-year-old Holden James Matthews was charged with a federal hate crime for burning down three Black churches throughout Louisiana.

Matthews, the son of deputy sheriff Roy Matthews, used his own ID to buy lighters, 10 towels and a gas canister that was eventually found at the scene of one of the fires. Fortunately, he was caught by police just 12 hours after the last fire.

He allegedly set fire to St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre on March 26 and Greater Union Baptist Church as well as Mount Pleasant Baptist Church on April 2 and April 4 respectively.

No one was injured in the fire, but all three buildings were over 100 years old and were pillars of the community. Police said they worried Matthews planned to attack another church if he wasn't caught.  

“Churches are vital places of worship and fellowship for our citizens and bind us together as a community. Our freedom to safely congregate in these churches and exercise our religious beliefs must be jealously guarded," said U.S. Attorney David Joseph in a statement.

"Today we are one step closer to justice for the parishioners of these churches and the St. Landry Parish communities affected by these acts."

Matthews was charged with three counts of intentional damage to religious property and three counts of using fire to commit a felony.

He's facing up to 20 years per count of intentional damage to religious property. In addition, he faces a minimum of 10 years for the first count of using fire to commit a felony and 20 years for the subsequent counts. If convicted, all sentences would run consecutively.

“Federal law protects our freedom to practice religion in a safe environment without the threat of discrimination or violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. 

Police used his cellphone GPS to place him at the site of each fire.

Pastor Gerald Toussaint of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church tried to put on a brave face during a press conference in April. He told his congregation that the fire would not shake the church's resolve.

“We’ve suffered, but I think it has a higher cause,” he said.

“Even though we’ve lost our church—our building, our building—look who’s been brought together. Our country has to find out that the God we serve does not look on the outside. He sees the heart.”

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