A December 7 hearing is scheduled for David Lopez Jackson, the suspect charged with two counts of second-degree arson for fires set at St. Louis churches.
He remains jailed in St. Louis on a $75,000 cash only bond. The 35-year-old was arrested on October 29 and charged for fires set at Ebenezer Lutheran Church and New Life Missionary Baptist Church (recently renamed United Believers in Christ Ministries).
According to prosecutors, Jackson has applied for a public defender and his request is being processed. The Missouri Public Defender’s Office in St. Louis did not respond to a request for comment on his status.
The investigation into all seven church fires is ongoing, although St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said Jackson is the only suspect in the case.
“Forensic evidence discovered links the defendant to the scene of the fire at Ebenezer Lutheran Church,” Dotson told reporters after the arrest. “Surveillance footage shows the defendant’s car at the scene of the fire at New Life Missionary Baptist Church. The defendant has confirmed that the car belongs to him and that he has exclusive use of it.”
Police said a canister with gasoline, along with a thermos that smelled of gasoline, were found inside of Jackson’s car at the time of his arrest. The possible motive for the church arsons is still unclear.
The investigation includes bomb and arson units in St. Louis City and St. Louis County, and federal investigators from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives.
