Broward sheriff asks for public's help to find arsonist who torched Oakland Park church doors
FORT LAUDERDALE -- The Broward County Sheriff's Office on Thursday asked for the public's help to find the person who set fire to the front doors of an Oakland Park church earlier this week while residents were inside the building.
Investigators released surveillance video of the arson at Power Outreach Ministries in an effort to identify and arrest the person responsible.
The suspect brought fuel in a can before dousing two doors and using a lit paper towel to ignite the blaze.
As referenced in the book of Isaiah chapter 54 in the Bible: "No weapon formed against (God) shall prosper," surveillance video of the incident showed flames burning the shoes worn by the arsonist.
"He got what he should have got," said Louis Colst, one of 15 people who currently lives in the building.
Most residents were home sleeping when flames erupted around 1:30 a.m Monday.
Firefighters from the Oakland Park Fire Department extinguished the blaze and no injuries were reported. However, the arsonist got away and that stings Pastor Warren Gayle.
"I was hurt," Gayle said. "What caused him to come all the way from where he came from to put this place on fire?"
Investigators are asking anyone who recognizes the suspect in the video to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477 or submit a tip online at browardcrimestoppers.org.
Gayle replaced the the doors that were destroyed.
The church suffered more than $1,000 in damage during the incident, according to Broward Sheriff's Office investigators.
So as members of the church and residents count blessings, Colst and Pastor Gayle sound anxious to see the suspect repent.
"Even though he (set the fire), I'm grateful that he's not really, really burnt," Colst said. "But it should have (done) something to spark something in his head to know this is not what you should be doing."
