ATF offers reward in hopes of finding whoever set church on fire in northeast Minneapolis
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Federal authorities are offering a reward in hopes of finding whoever set on fire and severely damaged a church this past spring in northeast Minneapolis.
The blaze tore through Sacred Heart of Jesus Polish National Catholic Church in Minneapolis on April 19 that left the building in the 2200 block of NE. 5th Street with a collapsed roof and beyond repair.
Investigators with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), "who typically respond to fires related to houses of worship, worked alongside the Minneapolis Police Department and Minneapolis Fire Department to determine that the fire at the church was a result of an act of arson," read a statement issued Monday afternoon from the federal agency.
ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeff Reed said in a statement that surveillance footage shows "an individual who was present in the area around the time when smoke started billowing from the church."
And while stopping short of calling the man a suspect in the torching of the more than 100-year-old church, Reed said, "We believe this person has valuable information related to this fire, and we're looking to the public to help us identify the individual."
A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered by the Minnesota Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in connection with the crime.
Anyone with information about arson is urged to contact the ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), by email at ATFTips@atf.gov or submit information anonymously via www.ReportIt.com
The International Association of Arson Investigators is an international professional association of more than 10,000 fire investigation professionals, united by a strong commitment to suppress the crime of arson through professional fire investigation.
The Polish National Catholic Church denomination was formed in 1897 in Scranton, Pa., and is not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
