Pittsfield Police Investigating Attempted Arson at St. Joe
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police are investigating an attempted arson that occurred on the property of St. Joseph's Church in the early morning of Aug. 4.
Over half of one of the southern rear doors is charred from top to bottom and part of the window is melted. There are also signs of char on the ground beneath.
Lt. Gary Traversa reported that the investigation is active and detectives are making progress, but further details need to be withheld to maintain investigative integrity.
Parish attendee attorney John Bernardo said this fire was attempted twice, the second time occurring earlier this week.
Traversa said there has not been a second report of the incident and there is only a report from Aug. 4. Fire Chief Thomas Sammons said only one fire was reported to his department.
Bernardo is disappointed that this occurrence has not received public attention, he told iBerkshires, and wants the community to be aware of what happened.
A regular churchgoer, he described the act as "atrocious." He speculated that the situation may not be publicized because of city efforts to frame the area as a cultural hub.
"The night before last, they burned the doors again," Bernardo said. "Nobody's doing anything."
Any suspicious activity should be reported to the Pittsfield Police Department at 413-448-9700 or on the PPD website.
Tags: arson,
