Man charged with arson after historic New Brunswick Catholic church burned to ground
The church, believed to have been approximately 108 years old and the largest wooden church in New Brunswick, was reduced to rubble early Monday morning. Only a stone chimney remained standing.
A 68-year-old New Brunswick man has been charged with arson after a historic Catholic church on the Acadian Peninsula was destroyed by fire, in a follow-up to reports of the suspicious blaze earlier this week.
According to the Telegraph-Journal, Gilles Mallet of Saint-Simon was arrested and charged Tuesday in Bathurst Provincial Court in connection with the fire that destroyed Saint-Simon Catholic Church.
The church, believed to have been approximately 108 years old and the largest wooden church in New Brunswick, was reduced to rubble early Monday morning. Only a stone chimney remained standing.
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Horrific scenes as the steeple collapses at Saint Simon church as it burns to the ground
A 68 year old man has been arrested for the anti Catholic terror attack pic.twitter.com/NbAKLUE19d
Caraquet Fire Chief Luc Dugas previously said the circumstances appeared suspicious from the outset. Alarms were reportedly triggered in the church basement at approximately 3:30 a.m., shortly before firefighters received the call at 3:38 a.m.
The RCMP said the building was unoccupied at the time.
Police have not publicly identified a possible motive for the alleged arson.
Mallet was remanded into custody following his court appearance and is scheduled for a bail hearing on Aug. 28. The allegations against him have not been proven in court.
Sheila Gunn Reid
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Sheila Gunn Reid is the Editor-in-Chief, Alberta Bureau Chief, member of the board of directors, and host of The Gunn Show at Rebel News. Sheila also serves as President of the Independent Press Gallery of Canada. A mother of three and longtime conservative activist, Sheila is the author of bestselling books, including her most recent release, Independence Blueprint: What Alberta Can Learn From Quebec.
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