Sept. 18 (UPI) -- A federal jury in Gulfport, Miss., has convicted a man charged with six counts of federal arson and civil rights offenses for vandalizing and setting fire to a house of worship, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.
Stefan Day Rowold set fire to the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Wiggins, Miss., on July 7, 2024.
Evidence presented at the trial suggested that Rowold targeted the church because he disagreed with its fundamental religious beliefs and principles, the Justice Department said in a release.
Rowold confessed to breaking into the building, vandalizing the interior walls and setting a fire in the middle of the church's multi-purpose room so leaders could not hold services.
Rowold used the church's hymnals for kindling for the fire, court records showed. He also admitted to breaking into the church two days later with the intention of creating more damage.
