ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell police say they have arrested a man accused of setting a church on fire.
The fire department responded to the blaze at the Epiphany Byzantine Catholic Church on Old Alabama Road around 2 a.m. Sunday.
Parts of the church, as well as the woods surrounding the building, were in flames when firefighters arrived.
The church's pastor, who built the church in 1980, says he was asleep in a nearby building at the time the fire started.
A passerby spotted the flames and called 911, according to the pastor.
"My reaction is one of shock of course and sorrow because our church building is really a pride and joy to us," said the pastor.
Parts of the church were heavily damaged by the flames.
The pastor says the Orthodox Church next door has agreed to let the congregation use their building until the church is fixed.
"We're going to start construction on the repairs tomorrow morning so we're getting right back into it. Hopefully have Christmas in there," the pastor said.
Policy said 24-year-old Juan Carlos Ramirez was naked and arrested nearby for disorderly conduct. He was later charged with arson as a result of the investigation and a subsequent confession.
WSBTV
