Man arrested on arson charge in church fire – Loveland Reporter-Herald

A 21-year-old faces arson charges in connection with a fire at Abiding Love Lutheran Church on Thursday, according to a press release from the Loveland Police Department.

Police arrested Darion R. Sexton at about 8:30 p.m. Friday, and Sexton was booked into the Larimer County Jail, the release states. He is accused of one count of possession or use of an incendiary device and two counts of first-degree arson, all felonies, according to police.

His arrest was in connection to a fire that occurred late Thursday night at Abiding Love Lutheran Church, 2825 E. First St. The Loveland Fire Rescue Authority responded to a fire alarm at the church, and crews found a broken window at the front entrance and a small fire in the basement.

The building’s sprinklers had activated, preventing extensive damage, and crews quickly extinguished the fire, officials said.

Loveland police announced that they were investigating the fire as a possible arson.

The next day, on Friday, police arrested Sexton on a warrant, according to a Saturday news release.

“Loveland detectives, in coordination with our partners from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, obtained evidence to substantiate an arrest warrant that was served (Friday) by Loveland police detectives, with support from patrol operations,” according to the press release.

Police did not offer details on the evidence that they said led to Sexton, writing in an email that, “We would not want to jeopardize the prosecution in this case, so we would not be able to release those details at this time.”

The investigation remains ongoing, police said.