Deptford man accused of torching 10-foot cross on lawn of Catholic church

GLOUCESTER TWP. – A Deptford man is accused of setting fires and vandalizing property during a 30-minute spree at three Catholic churches on Friday morning.

Peter Sirolli, 40, allegedly set fire to a 10-foot cross on the lawn of St. Patrick’s Church in Woodbury around 7:10 a.m., according to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office.

Sirolli next tried to throw a rock through a window at St. Theresa’s Church in Runnemede about 20 minutes later, the prosecutor's office alleged in a statement.

A witness at the Evesham Road church saw the rock-throwing and updated police while following the suspect's pickup truck to the third church, St. Agnes in Gloucester Township

The witness then saw the suspect "exit his vehicle and threw a brick through a large window above the main door causing extensive damage," according to an account from Gloucester Township police.

The suspect then drove across a parking lot to a parish center, where he poured gasoline to ignite a flag pole, burning the American flag in the process.

A parish employee saw the 7:40 a.m. incident "and yelled at the suspect to stop," the police account said.

Sirolli fled, but the original witness continued to follow him and provided more updates to police.

A Gloucester Township police officer saw the pick-up truck, with bricks and gas cans in its open bed, on the Black Horse Pike near Church Street.

Sirolli did not stop after emergency lights and sirens were activated, the account said.

Instead, he drove away "at a very slow speed" and pulled into the parking lot of the Laurelwood 7th Day Adventist Church parking lot in Deptford around 7:45 a.m.

"It is not believed that the suspect is affiliated in any way with the Laurelwood 7th Day Adventist Church," the police account said.

Sirolli was arressted without incident at the Deptford site.

Bishop Dennis Sullivan, who leads the Diocese of Camden, praised the speedy response of law enforcement officers.

"At a time when houses of worship often seem to be the target of individual angst, it is reassuring to know our local police departments take incidents like this seriously and act quickly," he said.

"While we do not yet know the motivation of the person currently in custody, I ask the Catholic faithful of South Jersey to offer prayer that he may find peace," the bishop added.

Sirolli is charged with bias intimidation, arson, criminal mischief, eluding and weapons offenses.

He’s also accused of desecration of a sacred object, a disorderly persons offense.

The charges against Sirolli are only allegations. He has not been convicted in the case.

An investigation is ongoing, the prosecutor’s office noted.

Anyone with information is asked to call Prosecutor’s Detective Cody Skinner at 856-580-6053 and Gloucester Township Police Detective Dennis Richards at 856- 374- 5706.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Peter Sirolli charged with bias intimidation for vandalism at churches