A young man has been arrested after ramming a vehicle into a church and setting the place on fire while the parishioners were inside.
The incident occurred in Ocala, Florida, where 24-year-old Steven Anthony Shield plowed his vehicle into a Catholic church before pouring gasoline on the sanctuary and setting the place on fire.
According to the reports, the Our Queen of Peace Catholic Church caught fire while the parishioners were preparing for a mass.
After the fire started, Shield allegedly fled the scene in his minivan. The fire was put out by Marion County Fire Rescue and the parishioners managed to get out unharmed.
Following the attack on the church, the police arrested the culprit who allegedly called himself “king” and claimed to be “on a mission.”
According to Ocala Star-Banner, the young man told the authorities that he’s mentally ill and that he had stopped taking the meds before the incident happened.
Speaking of Shield’s arrest, the sheriff’s office confirmed that Deputy Josue Gonzalez “spotted the vehicle leaving the area and gave chase” before disabling “the fleeing vehicle in the 5900 block of South Highway 441, where the defendant was taken into custody.”
Following the incident, Sheriff Billy Wood praised his deputies for catching the suspect so fast. “I’m proud of my deputies for capturing this man so quickly and we appreciate the assistance from all of the state and federal agencies that worked alongside of us during this investigation,” he said.
As for Shield, he is facing multiple charges including attempted second-degree murder, felony evidencing prejudice, and arson.
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Replaced!