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The New Mexico man who pleaded guilty to setting the church and kindergarten on fire while dozens of children were inside has been sentenced to more than four years in prison.
Jonathan Barajas Nava, 37, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty in January to one count of damage to religious property, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
On April 24, 2024, Nava buried gas cans at a gas station in Yukaipa, then retreated the church and Yukaipa Christian kindergarten, pouring flammable liquid into the church entrance.
He then set the gasoline on fire. The gasoline caused flames that damaged the interior carpets, door frame seals and outdoor mats in the church.
Nava then moved to a nearby strip mall and set fire to the exterior walls. The fire disappeared without causing serious damage.
He was arrested by authorities later that day and was eventually charged by the federal government.
In January he admitted that he tried to burn the church for religious reasons.
“The arson was planned and targeted,” prosecutors argued in a memorandum of determination. “[Nava] He did not commit this crime in the heat of passion. ”
The lawsuit was investigated by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and the Alcohol Department, cigarettes, firearms, explosives and Cal fires.
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