A man from Florida was hunted down and arrested by police after he allegedly drove his car into a church, set the building on fire while people were still inside, and then fled the scene, according to authorities.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office released a statement following the incident and posted it on Facebook together with pictures of the building, completely vandalized and burned down on the inside.
“A man drove his vehicle into the front doors and then lit a fire while parishioners were inside,” police wrote in the release.
Nobody inside the Queen of Peace Catholic Church on Southwest Highway in Ocala was seriously injured following the attack, police said.
The suspect who allegedly set fire to the church has not been identified yet, but he was taken into custody shortly after a brief chase by responding officers, police said.
“He then led deputies on a vehicle chase and was soon captured,” the statement reads.
Officials said additional details will be released as soon as they become available.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has launched an investigation.
