Initially reported as arson, police now say incident at Abbotsford church a case of mischief
A fire at a Fraser Valley church that was initially described as an arson is now considered a case of mischief, local police say.
In a brief update on the case from earlier this week, the Abbotsford Police Department said investigators came to the conclusion with help from its forensic identification section.
A person of interest has been identified by police, who believe the incident was isolated.
Officers said they believe there is no threat to the public or other places of worship in connection with the fire reported Wednesday evening.
They did not publicly identify the person of interest or provide any details on what led them to believe the fire wasn't an arson. Police also did not say anything about the distinction between the offences.
The Criminal Code definition of mischief as it relates to religious property includes, but is not limited to, a person who destroys or damages property "if the commission of the mischief is motivated by bias, prejudice or hate."
If a person is convicted of an indictable offence, they may be sentenced to a prison term of no more than 10 years.
Arson, under the Criminal Code, includes but is not limited to a person who intentionally or recklessly causes damage to a property by fire or explosion, when the incident causes bodily harm to another person, or when the person knows the property is occupied or is reckless about whether it may be. Penalties vary from less than five years behind bars to life imprisonment.
Police said previously they were called to the Central Heights Church in Abbotsford at around 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze on McCallum Road, and, after surveillance video was viewed by police, a suspect description was made public.
At the time of the fire, the church was closed and no one was inside. The damage was described by police as minimal.
It appears from the APD's assertion that there is no risk to other places of worship that the department may not believe the fire is tied to a growing number of similar cases across Canada.
Churches have been targeted with arson and vandalism in recent weeks, which some have speculated is connected to the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential school sites – though most of those involved have not been arrested.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Andrew Weichel
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.