Woman accused of burning church, threatening to kill pastor and his wife, arrest warrant says
By Christopher Harris
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AUSTELL, Georgia (WUPA) — A woman is facing multiple felony charges after a fire destroyed Eagle’s Chapel Church in Austell Monday night, authorities said.
Austell is located about 17 miles west of Downtown Atlanta, in Cobb County.
Investigators said Aries Maliah Jordan not only set the blaze but also sent text messages threatening to burn the church and kill the pastor and his wife, according to an arrest warrant.
Austell Fire Chief Brandon Merritt confirmed to CBS News Atlanta that Jordan was arrested late Tuesday. He said more details about the case are expected to be released soon.
The church’s lead pastor, Raphael Grant, described the moment he found out.
“I received a call from one of my leaders asking me, ‘What happened? Is everyone okay?’ She told me the church is on fire, it’s on the news,” Grant said. “I was lying in bed. I just jumped out of bed and drove to the church premises and lo and behold, the church was on fire.”
Grant said firefighters and police were already on the scene, but the damage was beyond repair.
“As a matter of fact, the entire building, 20,000 square feet, is completely in rubble. There is nothing,” he said.
The fire is a painful blow to the congregation. Three years ago, the church was heavily damaged by flooding and had only recently reopened.
“We just finished rebuilding because of the flood. Everything in the building was brand new, and now everything is gone,” Grant said. “For now, this coming Sunday, we will be having the service in front of the church, outside at 10 a.m. We also have a GoFundMe account, and we really need financial help at this moment.”
Justice Asante, head of media for Eagle’s Chapel, called the church a cornerstone of the community.
“This is the house of God. I’ve been here for 10 years now,” Asante said. “We had early devastation of water damage, but we were able to get back. As soon as we came back, this is the second year, but unfortunately the fire destroyed the building.”
Despite the loss, Asante said the congregation’s faith and unity remain strong.
“The atmosphere here is electrifying. It’s an amazing place to have worship. We welcome everybody that comes from all parts of the world,” he said. “The building is one aspect of it, but the church is the people. You can’t destroy the church of God. So we are gathering ourselves together to continue on.”
Court documents from the Magistrate Court of Cobb County accuse Jordan of starting the fire at the church on Joe Jerkins Boulevard between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Sept. 29. The building was completely destroyed in the flames.
The warrant lists several felony charges against Jordan, including first-degree arson, burglary, vandalism of a place of worship, criminal damage to property, possession of tools for the commission of a crime, and making terroristic threats.
Investigators also said a plastic container of ignitable liquid was found at the scene. The church’s pastor told authorities the container did not belong to the church.
Jordan is also accused of entering the building without permission and intentionally setting the fire, which authorities say could have endangered lives.
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