The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office arrested Rodney Smith Nov. 19 and charged him with trying to set on fire a shed at St. Christopher’s Church in West Palm Beach. Fla.

“Supposedly it happened at dawn or shortly thereafter,” said the Rev. Terrence Taylor, rector. “I was at the church early and I got a call. I’m not normally a morning person, but for some reason I woke up very early yesterday and couldn’t get back to sleep.”

A sheriff’s deputy observed Mr. Smith attempting to light the shed on fire. Detectives said after he was arrested Mr. Smith admitted to using a tire to start another fire in the area last month.

Fr. Taylor said that St. Christopher’s is located on about five acres of property and the shed is located away from the highway and the church building. Recently a Baptist church up the street was burned to the ground under suspicious circumstances. St. Christopher’s had requested enhanced patrols of the neighborhood after that incident.

Steve Waring

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