CLEVELAND — A teenager was arrested and charged in connection with the massive fire that destroyed the historic Friendship Baptist Church on Aug. 21, according to court documents obtained by News 5.
Nineteen-year-old John McManamon was arraigned on a felony arson charge Wednesday morning, according to court documents. He is being held on a $10,000 bond.
Cleveland Municipal Court records show McManamon is accused of setting fire to the historic Friendship Baptist Church on Cleveland’s East Side on Aug. 21. Responding fire crews were met with flames shooting from every angle at the vacant church around 2 a.m. at East 55th Street and Central Avenue.
Court records state that a real-time crime camera captured footage of a vehicle near the church, where the teen and two friends allegedly parked on East 57th Street behind the church and "entered the structure to engage" in a social media trend. A photo of the early state of the fire was then posted online. Soon after, the vehicle left and the building went up in flames and the roof collapsed.
Records state that more than 65 firefighters responded to the scene to extinguish the fire, which caused more than $750,000 in damage. The Cleveland Fire Department said it does not believe the fire was set for financial reasons.
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The historic church has sat on Cleveland's East Side since the 19th century.
Over the weekend, a social media post raised questions about the fire. That picture, which shows flames and names the church, is now evidence related to the fire, according to Cleveland Fire. On Monday, people stopped by to take pictures of the rubble.
Genevieve Mitchell placed flowers and a handwritten message at the site.
"This building is just such an amazing, sacred place,” Mitchell said.
Part of Mitchell’s message at the foot of the rubble reads, "The death of this amazing historic church to fire has deeply affected this community."
