Ronald J. Pudder pleaded guilty on Monday to setting fire to a church in his town, Conneaut, Ohio. Pudder admits he did it because the church members were black.
The First Azusa Apostolic Faith Church of God is the only African-American church in the area. Pudder set fire to it on May 20th.
Early in the morning, neighbors saw the church burning and called the police. The door was damaged, but the inside of the church was not.
U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach says, "Crimes like these leave scars. Not just physical scars to the building, but emotional ones, to the souls of the congregants [church members]."
printable:Download Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Setting Church Fire.pdf (21.1K)
