Stephen Spencer Pittman, a 19-year-old from Mississippi, has been charged with arson after allegedly setting fire to Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi. The synagogue, which was previously bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967, was targeted by Pittman because of its Jewish ties, according to the FBI.
Pittman was arrested on Saturday (January 10) after his father turned him in to authorities. The father reported that his son had laughed while confessing to the crime. Pittman was taken into custody at a local hospital where he was being treated for burn injuries sustained during the arson.
According to an affidavit filed in federal court, Pittman had been tracked via a location-tracking app on his cellphone, which showed his movements from his home in a suburb of Jackson to a gas station where he purchased fuel, and then to the synagogue. Before setting the fire, Pittman sent text messages and photos to his father from the synagogue, indicating his intentions.
The fire, ignited using a torch lighter, caused significant damage to the synagogue’s library and surrounding rooms, destroying two Torahs and damaging several others. Security footage captured a man pouring liquid inside the building before the fire started.
Pittman, who referred to the synagogue as the “synagogue of Satan” during a confession to local law enforcement, is scheduled for an initial court appearance. Efforts to reach his legal representation have been unsuccessful. The FBI continues to investigate the incident, which has shocked the local community.
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