Ohio Church Burns While Man Watches From Swing

Jan. 10--MARYSVILLE, Ohio -- A Union County church burned to the ground overnight, and authorities have arrested a man who was found swinging on the church playground's swing set watching the building burn.

Stephen A. Beightler, 30, of Philadelphia, has been charged with two first-degree felonies, arson and receiving stolen property, after authorities said he drove a stolen BMW sports car into the north doors of the New Horizons Baptist Church.

No one was injured in the early-morning fire, but the building is a total loss, said Sheriff Jamie Patton.

Authorities found that the car had been driven into the church at 17939 Paver Barnes Rd. just off Northwest Parkway.

Beightler is being held at the Tri-County jail in Mechanicsburg and is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday morning in Marysville Municipal Court.

A passerby called 911 at 3:52 a.m. to report a fire in the area and when fire crews arrived just a few minutes later, the church was already fully engulfed.

Pastor Roger Williams, who lives with his family on the church property, said he was awoken by firefighters at 4 a.m. and saw the church engulfed in flames. This morning, he walked around the torched building.

He said he didn't know of anyone who would want to target the church or its members.

"We've never had any problems with anybody in the community," he said.

Williams said he would likely meet tonight with some of the 150 members to determine where the church will go from here.

"We're a strong church family and we're optimistic that we're going to rebuild it better than it was," he said.

Copyright 2012 - The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio