SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Firefighters extinguished a pair of fires at churches in the Oak Park area early Wednesday morning and investigators believe they were both intentionally set.
The first fire was started at a church in the 3900 block of 14th Avenue just after midnight and was quickly extinguished. Firefighters said the fire was small, but the church suffered sever water damage after the suppression system activated.
The second fire was started around 12:30 a.m. at a church in the 4700 block of 16th Avenue. Crews had this fire out in about half an hour. One firefighter suffered moderate burns to his shoulders while battling the second fire and had to be taken to the hospital, according to the Sacrament Metro Fire Department. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Witnesses described seeing a man running from the area just as firefighters arrived. Sacramento County Sheriff deputies searched the area and found Weun Luang Lee (pictured below) and detained him.
After interviews, arson investigators determined that both church fires were connected and intentionally set. Weun Luang Lee was arrested and charged with two counts of 451-C-Arson of a structure. Additional charges are pending.
When Jerrica Harnois and her family first arrived in the U.S. as immigrants in the 80’s she says the International Fellowship Church welcomed her family with open arms.
"From bible study downstairs to youth groups to choir practice, I played piano here all my life," says Harnois.
Harnois says besides it being a Christian worship house, it was also the place where immigrant families learned to integrate into the community.
"We came to America not knowing anything and then we found this church this place. It's become the center of who we became," says Harnois
A damage estimate has not been made on the churches. Both incidences remain under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Arson Tip Line at 916-808-8732 or Crime Stoppers at 1-916-443-HELP
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