July 6, 2009:
Nedrow (WSYR-TV) – Police say the two teens who set fires at two Onondaga Nation churches over the weekend did so in order to try to cover up their crimes.
Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh tells us the two teens charged with setting the fires had broken into the churches looking to steal audio/visual equipment.
Walsh tells us investigators have found no evidence to suggest the crimes were motivated by any other factor.
"They didn't bring an accelerant with them, they just set these fires as a prank more than anything else,” says Walsh.
Seventeen-year-old Dylan Antone and 16-year-old Jacob Homer are facing charges of burglary and arson.
Both remain in jail Monday night.
July 5, 2009:
Two teens charged with setting churches on fire
Nedrow (WSYR-TV) - Two teens have been charged with arson and burglary after police say they set fire to two Onondaga Nation churches Sunday morning.
Jacob Homer, 16, and Dylan M. Antone, 17, were spotted in the area before the fires were set. Both teens live on the Nation property.
Firefighters responded to emergency calls on the Reservation, where two separate fires had broken out within a half hour of one another.
The first fire call came in at 8:30 a.m. at the Wesleyan Chapel of the Onondaga's along Rt. 11A. Additional fire crews were called in, along with several ambulances.
Just minutes later, a second fire call went out at the Onondaga Nation United Methodist Church, less than a half mile down the road. Fire crews were able to extinguish the second fire quickly, with only minimal damage to the UMC.
The Wesleyan Chapel however, suffered more significant damage; too much, police say, for the building to remain standing. The church bell was visible through the charred remains of the building before a demolition crew began tearing the chapel down.
Two firefighters were treated on the scene for smoke inhalation. Both are expected to be okay.
The teens are scheduled to be arraigned Sunday evening.
