Victoria police have made an arrest in connection with an arson at the Mustard Seed Street Church.
Someone set fire to the outside of the Queens Avenue food bank early Wednesday, leaving the cross and parts of the exterior blackened.
Victoria firefighters extinguished the blaze and determined it was suspicious.
Investigators made an arrest on Thursday.
Michael Willman is charged with one count of arson damaging property and remains in custody.
Four other garbage can fires were reported Wednesday between midnight and 3 a.m. However, Victoria police said “investigators have no information to suggest that those incidents are related.”
The Mustard Seed’s Janine Boice said even though the building is covered by insurance, the fire cost the organization about $10,000. It hopes to recover the cost through donations.
The food bank will have to move to paper plates to serve daily hot lunches and dinners because the dishwasher was damaged by the smoke, she said.
The damaged cross, which came from the church’s original Pandora location, has a lot of historical significance, Boice said.
“It makes us sad, it hurts our hearts to see it destroyed,” she said.
Volunteers and community members have rallied around the church and Boice said everyone is focused on getting to work on the Christmas hampers that help families in need during the holidays.
“It has brought us all together,” she said.
