Louisiana Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes for Setting Fire to Three St. Landry Parish Churches

Holden James Matthews, 21, of Opelousas, Louisiana, was charged by a federal grand jury in an indictment unsealed today for setting fire to and destroying three churches in St. Landry Parish, announced Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph for the Western District of Louisiana.

According to the six-count indictment, in a span of 10 days, Matthews intentionally set fire to St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre, Louisiana, on March 26, Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas, Louisiana on April 2, and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas, Louisiana on April 4. The indictment alleges that he was motivated to set the fires because of the religious character of these properties. Matthews is charged with three counts of intentional damage to religious property, hate crime charges that fall under the Church Arson Prevention Act, and with three counts of using fire to commit a felony.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/louisiana-man-charged-federal-hate-crimes-setting-fire-three-st-landry-parish-churches