DICKINSON, Texas — A man was arrested after authorities said he set fire to a Dickinson church last month.
Dickinson police said 24-year-old Tyrese Travon Samuel is accused of setting the fire in order to cover up another crime. They said he was also stealing from Faith Lutheran Church.
Investigators said they figured out that Samuel had been stealing from the church two days after the fire when the bank informed the church that someone was cashing checks, using the church's credit cards and accessing their PayPal account.
Authorities said it took about two months to figure out what Samuel had done. They said he spent money at a fast-food restaurant, a gas station and Target. Investigators said they tried to get surveillance video showing that it was Samuel, but it wasn't available. They said he also cashed a check for about $800. They also said Samuel previously committed a similar crime in Deer Park.
Samuel was charged with arson of a place of worship, which is considered an "enhanced felony," authorities said. He's also being charged with forgery. He's being held in the Galveston County Jail on a $215,000 bond.
The fire
The church's congregation was forced out after the fire in early June. Fortunately, no one was injured. It was more than just a physical loss for many, including some of the fire crews. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
"It's my mother's church," Dickinson Fire Chief Keith Morgan said.
While the offices, the library and classrooms were destroyed, the actual church sanctuary was spared from the fire but was still inundated with smoke and water.
"We’re OK. Nobody’s hurt,” church member and volunteer Susan Leining said.
A member for 40 years, Leining was there when the church got through Harvey. She said they'll get through this, too.
"The church is not a building. It's the people," she said. "All the people that have come by today, that's what we've kind of talked about, is that we're the people of the church, the church is not all we need. We can make this happen."